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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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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: roll · last · bound · stick · file · perch · ruler · charge

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — in control
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. last — to go on
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — finally
  13. file — a document
  14. charge — a price
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. last — final
  17. bound — tied together
  18. file — a tool
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bound — certain
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a line of people
  24. roll — a list

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