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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: perch · mouse · racket · jam · march · fork · pound · current

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. current — happening now
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. march — music
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. current — electric
  14. pound — a weight
  15. current — of water
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. fork — in a road
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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