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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. track — a song
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. charge — in control
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. charge — a price
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. charge — electricity
  9. firm — decided
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. track — a path
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ball — a dance
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — a leader
  17. can — a tin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. track — to keep track
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. firm — a company
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. can — a tin
  24. perch — the fish

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