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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — electricity
  3. can — a tin
  4. staff — a stick
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. club — for dancing
  9. staff — employees
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. can — to be able to
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — a price
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. club — a group
  19. perch — the fish
  20. club — for golf
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. charge — in control
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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