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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. swing — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. last — final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cap — a hat
  10. swing — to play on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. charge — a price
  13. shower — to wash
  14. last — finally
  15. perch — the fish
  16. board — a committee
  17. cap — of ice
  18. board — to get on
  19. shower — rain
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bulb — for light
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. last — to go on
  24. cap — a lid

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