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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — of water
  6. net — after costs
  7. chair — a leader
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — electric
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. current — happening now
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — a price
  22. plane — a tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. perch — the fish

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