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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: pitcher · bark · fan · current · staff · perch · swing · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rest — what's left
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — employees
  10. swing — to play on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. staff — a stick
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — the fish
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bark — to shout
  24. staff — employees

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