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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: leaves · current · ball · pound · spell · present · fork · perch

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. current — electric
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pound — a weight
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. current — of water
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. current — happening now
  18. present — the time now
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — magic
  22. present — there
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ball — a dance

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