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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. club — for golf
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. perch — the fish
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. charge — in control
  8. bound — certain
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. toast — bread
  12. roll — a cake
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. charge — electricity
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. date — the fruit
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. club — a group
  23. charge — a price
  24. roll — a list

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