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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: file · bat · board · toast · perch · mate · current · object

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. file — a tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. toast — bread
  5. current — of water
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. perch — the fish
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — to protest
  14. current — electric
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. current — happening now
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. board — to get on
  24. object — a thing

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