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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 116 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 · fan · prune · bass · sharp · file · key · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — in control
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. key — for a lock
  6. sharp — clever
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — low music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. prune — to trim
  14. key — in music
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. file — a document
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. charge — a price
  19. file — a tool
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — the fish
  24. perch — the fish

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