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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 116 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: stick · pitcher · club · ball · perch · sharp · bulb · current

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. club — for dancing
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. current — of water
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — clever
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. current — happening now
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. current — electric
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — for light

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