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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — of a river
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. charge — in control
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. bank — for money
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — a price
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. suit — clothes
  22. court — of law
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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