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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: perch · mug · field · fall · charge · present · cap · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. mug — a cup
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — a subject
  5. cap — of ice
  6. charge — in control
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. field — farmland
  11. deal — to handle
  12. charge — electricity
  13. present — a gift
  14. fall — to drop
  15. field — for sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fall — the season
  20. cap — a lid
  21. charge — a price
  22. mug — a face
  23. perch — the fish
  24. deal — an agreement

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