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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: current · rash · mug · court · staff · suit · wind · perch

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mug — a face
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. suit — to fit
  10. current — electric
  11. mug — a cup
  12. perch — the fish
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. court — of law
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — for sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — hasty
  20. suit — in cards
  21. court — of a king
  22. rash — a series
  23. staff — employees
  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