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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: march · charge · ground · saw · file · safe · perch · deal

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — in control
  3. ground — crushed
  4. perch — the fish
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a line of people
  8. march — the month
  9. ground — the earth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. march — music
  15. ground — a position
  16. file — a document
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. charge — a price
  23. file — a tool
  24. saw — the tool

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