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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mouse · perch · current · march · spring · coach · hide · net

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. current — electric
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. march — music
  14. current — happening now
  15. spring — a coil
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spring — the season
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. net — in sport
  21. spring — of water
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. current — of water

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