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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. court — of a king
  3. perch — the fish
  4. hand — help
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of law
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wind — moving air
  12. charge — a price
  13. court — for sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wind — to turn a key

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