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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 120 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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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: game · perch · current · mark · wake · club · firm · staff

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. firm — decided
  6. club — a group
  7. current — of water
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. staff — a stick
  11. firm — a company
  12. perch — the fish
  13. current — happening now
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. current — electric
  16. game — wild animals
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. staff — employees
  21. game — a match
  22. mark — a grade
  23. perch — for a bird
  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