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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: date · pound · current · perch · field · rash · fan · mate

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. field — for sport
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — a series
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. field — a subject
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — farmland
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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