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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 116 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
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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: bore · perch · ball · branch · last · current · sharp · racket

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. ball — a dance
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — a division
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ball — a great time
  11. current — electric
  12. bore — to tire
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bore — to drill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. perch — the fish
  24. current — of water

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