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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 · saw · pass · perch · tear · charge · club · key

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. kick — in football
  3. club — a group
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. charge — electricity
  6. tear — to rip
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. charge — a price
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. club — for dancing
  14. key — for a lock
  15. charge — in control
  16. tear — from crying
  17. club — for golf
  18. pass — a permit
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. perch — the fish
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. saw — the tool

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