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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. game — wild animals
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rock — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — a committee
  10. rash — a series
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wax — to grow
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — a match
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. charge — a price
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. charge — in control
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. charge — electricity
  24. rock — to move gently

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