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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: current · land · object · deal · fine · stick · perch · snap

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fine — high quality
  3. snap — to click
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. current — of water
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — happening now
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — an aim
  16. perch — the fish
  17. current — electric
  18. object — to protest
  19. fine — all right
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — to handle
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. land — a country
  24. fine — a penalty

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