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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
468
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: cue · charge · current · mouse · patient · dip · perch · cold

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — a price
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cue — a hint
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — happening now
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. charge — in control
  18. cue — a signal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cold — not warm
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. current — of water
  24. charge — electricity

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