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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. net — for catching
  3. charge — in control
  4. net — after costs
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. charge — a price
  7. net — in sport
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chip — to eat
  10. toast — bread
  11. charge — electricity
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. court — of a king
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. date — the fruit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. court — of law
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. court — for sport
  24. perch — the fish

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