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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. last — to go on
  4. tube — a container
  5. charge — a price
  6. last — final
  7. march — music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cue — a hint
  12. swing — music
  13. rest — a break
  14. last — finally
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. march — the month
  18. swing — in golf
  19. march — the month
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. cue — a signal
  24. perch — for a bird

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