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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 120 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: perch · mine · fine · charge · drill · race · cue · bat

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. drill — army training
  6. cue — for pool
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. race — humankind
  9. charge — in control
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. race — the arms race
  13. mine — for digging
  14. cue — a hint
  15. fine — all right
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. charge — electricity
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — high quality
  22. charge — a price
  23. race — a contest
  24. cue — a signal

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