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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. file — a document
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — a trail
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a line of people
  9. charge — a price
  10. file — a tool
  11. charge — in control
  12. club — for dancing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. charge — electricity
  15. pop — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pop — soda
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wind — moving air
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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