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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: jam · wake · cabinet · fall · pitch · perch · current · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. current — electric
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — of water
  19. row — to paddle
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitch — completely
  23. perch — the fish
  24. current — happening now

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