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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: current · net · rush · stick · chip · perch · staff · bass

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — for catching
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bass — low music
  6. net — in sport
  7. staff — a stick
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — electric
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bass — the fish
  13. net — after costs
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. staff — employees
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. current — of water
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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