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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. charge — a price
  4. court — for sport
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. court — of law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. object — a thing
  9. tear — from crying
  10. charge — in control
  11. tear — to rip
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. object — an aim
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. object — to protest
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — a trail
  24. court — of a king

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