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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: band · mug · branch · current · mouse · perch · pitch · court

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. current — electric
  3. current — of water
  4. band — a ring
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. court — of a king
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — of law
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. current — happening now
  15. court — for sport
  16. branch — a division
  17. mug — to rob
  18. mug — a cup
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. band — a music group
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mug — a face
  24. band — a rubber band

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