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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: mouse · net · current · coach · capital · perch · drill · pit

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. current — of water
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. capital — a city
  6. perch — the fish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. current — happening now
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pit — in a race
  14. drill — a practice
  15. net — in sport
  16. current — electric
  17. drill — the tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. net — after costs
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. capital — money
  22. drill — army training
  23. pit — a hole
  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