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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: sharp · season · perch · bulb · mark · current · court · field

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. current — of water
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — electric
  5. field — farmland
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. field — a subject
  14. court — of law
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. season — of the year
  18. current — happening now
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — in sport
  24. sharp — with an edge

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