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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: club · perch · coach · present · snap · cue · current · roll

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. present — a gift
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. roll — a list
  5. cue — a hint
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. present — there
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. present — the time now
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cue — for pool
  15. club — for golf
  16. current — happening now
  17. club — a group
  18. current — electric
  19. cue — a signal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. club — for dancing
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. snap — to click

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