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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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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: swing · perch · nail · cell · board · root · current · present

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. cell — a phone
  3. swing — music
  4. present — a gift
  5. current — happening now
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. present — there
  10. cell — in biology
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — in golf
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. root — the cause
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — to get on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. root — of a word
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — a committee
  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