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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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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 · fan · jam · charge · land · date · pass · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — a permit
  4. land — to come down
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — electricity
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. date — the fruit
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. land — ground
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. land — a country
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — clever
  24. charge — in control

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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