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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: roll · perch · chair · charge · object · last · net · key

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. charge — in control
  3. net — for catching
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. object — a thing
  6. chair — a leader
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. net — in sport
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — after costs
  14. last — to go on
  15. roll — a cake
  16. object — an aim
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. charge — a price
  20. key — the most important part
  21. charge — electricity
  22. object — to protest
  23. key — in music
  24. roll — a list

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