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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: suit · deal · staff · rash · kick · current · season · perch

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — of the year
  3. staff — a stick
  4. suit — clothes
  5. staff — employees
  6. current — electric
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. current — of water
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — in football
  11. rash — hasty
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. suit — to fit
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rash — a series
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — in sport
  21. deal — to handle
  22. perch — the fish
  23. current — happening now
  24. perch — for a bird

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