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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: mouse · cold · pop · tube · perch · charge · bulb · foot

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. cold — an illness
  3. charge — in control
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — soda
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. pop — music
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. pop — to visit
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cold — not warm
  24. perch — the fish

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