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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: club · perch · fan · racket · prune · scale · current · drill

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. drill — army training
  4. current — happening now
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. drill — a practice
  7. club — for dancing
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. prune — to trim
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. prune — to trim
  18. perch — the fish
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. club — for golf
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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