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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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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. charge — in control
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. charge — a price
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rash — a series
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. track — a path
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. track — a song
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rash — hasty
  21. charge — electricity
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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