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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. charge — electricity
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. club — for golf
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — in control
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. charge — a price
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bat — the animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. pitch — completely

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