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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: swing · file · stick · staff · root · scale · current · perch

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. root — of a word
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. root — the cause
  5. current — of water
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a tool
  10. staff — a stick
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — in golf
  13. perch — the fish
  14. current — electric
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. file — a line of people
  17. scale — in music
  18. current — happening now
  19. scale — size or range
  20. root — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — music
  24. scale — for weighing

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