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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. roll — a list
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tube — the underground
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. date — the fruit
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. charge — a price
  23. roll — a cake
  24. deal — to handle

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