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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. march — the month
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — in control
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. file — a document
  10. march — music
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. pass — a permit
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. file — a tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. file — a line of people
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. game — a match
  24. march — the month

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