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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. present — there
  3. spell — letters
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. present — a gift
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — all right
  8. rash — hasty
  9. perch — the fish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. charge — a price
  14. rash — a series
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — magic
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spell — a short time
  23. charge — electricity
  24. saw — the tool

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