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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: pass · court · perch · current · branch · racket · tear · pitcher

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. court — of a king
  4. tear — to rip
  5. perch — the fish
  6. court — of law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — for sport
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. branch — a division
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tear — from crying
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — a permit
  22. current — of water
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. current — happening now

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