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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: straw · jam · toast · charge · chair · game · net · perch

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. charge — electricity
  3. perch — the fish
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — a price
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. game — a match
  13. chair — a leader
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. jam — in traffic

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