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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · rock · capital · chair · current · calf · race · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. current — happening now
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rock — music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. capital — money
  9. race — the arms race
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. capital — a city
  14. race — a contest
  15. current — electric
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — of water
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. race — humankind
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com