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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: perch · pitcher · cue · bulb · content · date · staff · current

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — a stick
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. date — the fruit
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cue — a signal
  10. content — happy
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. cue — a hint
  13. cue — for pool
  14. current — electric
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. current — of water
  17. current — happening now
  18. content — the amount
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. staff — employees
  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