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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. court — for sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. court — of a king
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chair — a leader
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — of law
  18. charge — in control
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. charge — electricity
  23. perch — the fish
  24. safe — a strongbox

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