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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: charge · date · wake · pop · perch · band · stick · suit

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. suit — clothes
  3. band — a music group
  4. charge — in control
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pop — music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pop — soda
  17. charge — a price
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. band — a ring
  21. pop — to visit
  22. date — the fruit
  23. wake — a trail
  24. perch — for a bird

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