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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 116 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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Word bank
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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fine — high quality
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — magic
  7. land — to come down
  8. perch — the fish
  9. net — after costs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. net — for catching
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — all right
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. charge — a price
  16. land — ground
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. land — a country
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. net — in sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fine — a penalty

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