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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — the animal
  5. shower — to wash
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. field — for sport
  8. charge — in control
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — farmland
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — a price
  17. cap — a lid
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — a measure

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