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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: staff · object · game · perch · leaves · foot · charge · last

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. last — to go on
  10. game — wild animals
  11. object — to protest
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — an aim
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. game — a match
  18. last — finally
  19. object — a thing
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. last — final
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. leaves — lets stay

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