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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — to handle
  18. charge — a price
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ball — a great time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pop — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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