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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · racket · sharp · current · perch · pound · mine · lash

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fine — all right
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. current — happening now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. current — of water
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mine — for digging
  20. perch — the fish
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. current — electric

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