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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 120 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: key · leaves · perch · coach · current · calf · sharp · bass

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. key — for a lock
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — low music
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. current — of water
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. key — in music
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bass — the fish
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. perch — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. current — electric

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