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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: perch · calf · arm · track · press · bat · charge · content

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. charge — electricity
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. press — a publisher
  6. charge — a price
  7. track — to keep track
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. press — to push
  12. content — happy
  13. charge — in control
  14. press — newspapers
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. arm — a part of something

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