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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: saw · pound · mate · game · perch · board · nail · charge

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — wild animals
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. charge — a price
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. perch — the fish
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. game — a match

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