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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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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: perch · current · stick · firm · cell · file · mouse · pound

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. firm — decided
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. current — of water
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. firm — steady
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. current — electric
  19. file — a line of people
  20. current — happening now
  21. firm — a company
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cell — in biology
  24. mouse — the animal

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