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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: arm · current · dip · bound · perch · pitcher · bark · board

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. current — electric
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. perch — the fish
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. board — to get on
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bound — obliged
  20. current — of water
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — happening now
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — of a tree

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