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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: chair · field · perch · mug · craft · charge · can · spring

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. spring — of water
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — a skill
  5. spring — a coil
  6. can — a tin
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chair — a leader
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spring — the season
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. mug — to rob
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — electricity
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — a price
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. craft — boats
  23. mug — a face
  24. field — farmland

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