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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · charge · fan · jam · spell · pit · bowl · court

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. perch — the fish
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pit — in a race
  7. spell — magic
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — electricity
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. charge — a price
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. charge — in control
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. spell — letters
  22. pit — a hole
  23. spell — a short time
  24. court — of a king

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