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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: object · stick · clip · last · ground · arm · perch · current

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. object — a thing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ground — crushed
  8. last — to go on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. object — to protest
  12. current — of water
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — for paper
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. last — finally
  17. last — final
  18. ground — a position
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. clip — a video
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. object — an aim

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