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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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. charge — in control
  4. pitch — completely
  5. perch — the fish
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. board — to get on
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — a price
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. squash — to crush
  19. board — a committee
  20. march — the month
  21. spell — letters
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. march — music

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