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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pop — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. charge — in control
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pop — soda
  8. bound — obliged
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. perch — the fish
  11. charge — a price
  12. bound — certain
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mate — a partner
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — a match
  18. bound — tied together
  19. charge — electricity
  20. pop — to visit
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. can — to be able to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mate — to breed

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