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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — in control
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. charge — a price
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. net — in sport
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — the underground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. tube — a container
  17. perch — the fish
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. charge — electricity
  23. net — for catching
  24. prune — the fruit

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