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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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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. charge — in control
  4. spell — magic
  5. land — to come down
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. object — to protest
  8. scale — size or range
  9. land — ground
  10. object — a thing
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. object — an aim
  13. charge — a price
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. spell — a short time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. scale — in music
  19. charge — electricity
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — letters
  22. land — a country
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rock — 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