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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.

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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: shower · stand · perch · press · arm · current · fork · pitcher

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. current — electric
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. shower — rain
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. shower — to wash
  12. current — of water
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — happening now
  20. stand — to bear
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. press — to push
  23. fork — in a road
  24. perch — for a bird

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