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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: march · current · mouse · fine · plane · capital · spell · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. perch — the fish
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. spell — a short time
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. capital — money
  6. spell — magic
  7. fine — high quality
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. current — electric
  12. march — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. spell — letters
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. current — of water
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. fine — all right
  21. current — happening now
  22. march — the month
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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