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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. charge — electricity
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. charge — a price
  8. bank — of a river
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kick — in football
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. land — to come down
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. charge — in control

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