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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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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 · arm · stick · root · perch · board · ruler · wake

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. root — the cause
  5. perch — the fish
  6. board — a committee
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. root — of a word
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. board — to get on
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — a trail
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. current — of water
  23. root — of a plant
  24. perch — for a bird

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