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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: clip · file · season · perch · pitch · staff · ruler · current

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. clip — to cut
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. staff — a stick
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. clip — a video
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — electric
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. pitch — completely
  21. file — a tool
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. file — a document

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