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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · perch · charge · ruler · band · present

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. charge — a price
  7. present — the time now
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. charge — in control
  10. present — there
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — electricity
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — a gift

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