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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: perch · charge · cell · pound · trunk · bass · calf · cap

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — a price
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bass — the fish
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cell — a phone
  9. perch — the fish
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — electricity
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. cap — of ice
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. cap — a hat
  19. charge — in control
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bass — low music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. cap — a lid

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