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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bowl · bat · ruler · plane · mine · perch · sharp

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mine — for digging
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. current — electric
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. plane — a tool
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bat — in an idiom

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