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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 120 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
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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: perch · game · rash · fan · calf · current · stick · charge

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — happening now
  4. charge — a price
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rash — hasty
  7. game — wild animals
  8. charge — electricity
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — a series
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. game — a match
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fan — a supporter

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