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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: stick · bat · current · rest · perch · coach · wound · charge

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. perch — the fish
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — of water
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. charge — a price
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — in control
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. current — happening now
  18. charge — electricity
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — electric
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bat — the animal
  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