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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: wound · foot · charge · perch · ball · wake · bowl · stick

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. charge — in control
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ball — a dance
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wake — a trail
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. perch — the fish
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wound — an injury

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