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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 · track · current · bat · sharp · mark · mouse · can

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mark — a trace
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a path
  15. current — electric
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — happening now
  20. can — a tin
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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