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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: key · kid · object · charge · cue · row · perch · fine

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fine — all right
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — high quality
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. object — a thing
  7. key — the most important part
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. perch — the fish
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. charge — in control
  17. cue — for pool
  18. row — to paddle
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. object — to protest
  22. cue — a hint
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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