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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. charge — electricity
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. fork — in a road
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. land — a country
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — to come down
  21. drill — army training
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. land — ground
  24. sharp — exactly

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