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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. suit — in cards
  3. perch — the fish
  4. charge — electricity
  5. content — the amount
  6. charge — in control
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — all right
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. game — a match
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. charge — a price
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. saw — the tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. suit — to fit
  19. content — happy
  20. game — wild animals
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — clothes
  23. spell — a short time
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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