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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: march · perch · chip · current · mate · bear · hand · season

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. current — happening now
  3. march — the month
  4. current — of water
  5. hand — in cards
  6. perch — the fish
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. march — the month
  10. current — electric
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — for betting
  15. march — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. chip — to eat
  21. season — of the year
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. season — to add flavour

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