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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — in control
  4. charge — electricity
  5. perch — the fish
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. prune — to trim
  9. game — a match
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ground — the earth
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. ground — a position
  15. prune — to trim
  16. game — wild animals
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. tube — the underground
  19. charge — a price
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. staff — employees
  24. ground — crushed

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