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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 · perch · cell · pitch · present · mug · board · bear

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. present — a gift
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mug — to rob
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — happening now
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. perch — the fish
  14. present — there
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mug — a face
  18. current — of water
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mug — a cup
  21. board — to get on
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. present — the time now
  24. pitch — completely

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