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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
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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: bat · current · hide · object · perch · mug · roll · date

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. object — an aim
  7. mug — a cup
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. date — the fruit
  11. current — electric
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mug — a face
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. roll — a cake
  16. object — a thing
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — the animal
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. current — happening now
  22. object — to protest
  23. roll — a list
  24. hide — animal skin

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