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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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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: scale · club · arm · perch · rule · current · snap · band

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — electric
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rule — government
  8. club — for golf
  9. band — a ring
  10. current — of water
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. band — a music group
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. scale — size or range
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. scale — in music
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. club — for dancing
  22. snap — to click
  23. rule — a law
  24. club — a group

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