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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — electricity
  4. roll — a cake
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. hand — in cards
  10. perch — the fish
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. roll — a list
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fine — high quality
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. charge — in control
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — a price
  22. hand — help
  23. toast — bread
  24. nail — for a hammer

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