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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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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — a committee
  5. craft — boats
  6. season — in sport
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. file — a line of people
  10. face — part of the head
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. face — to point toward
  14. craft — a skill
  15. board — to get on
  16. perch — the fish
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. charge — in control
  19. face — to confront
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. season — of the year
  24. mouse — the animal

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