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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.

Make a worksheet

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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. charge — in control
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — wild animals
  4. charge — a price
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — the fish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ground — a position
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. game — a match
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — low music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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