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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: current · cue · sharp · tube · fan · rock · game · perch

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rock — music
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — electric
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — a container
  17. game — a match
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — the underground
  21. perch — the fish
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a signal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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