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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 120 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: staff · sharp · cap · current · pound · march · object · perch

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. march — the month
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — an aim
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — electric
  11. staff — employees
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cap — of ice
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. sharp — clever
  19. staff — a stick
  20. object — to protest
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. object — a thing
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. march — music

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