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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 116 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: land · charge · perch · pop · rash · craft · field · chair

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — boats
  3. charge — a price
  4. charge — electricity
  5. land — ground
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. land — a country
  8. pop — soda
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pop — music
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. chair — a leader
  13. land — to come down
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. field — for sport
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rash — a series
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — in control
  24. craft — a skill

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