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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 · net · wake · charge · lean · mate · cue · degree

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cue — for pool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — a hint
  8. degree — temperature
  9. mate — to breed
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mate — a partner
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mate — a friend
  14. degree — from a university
  15. lean — thin
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. charge — in control
  20. lean — to bend
  21. net — after costs
  22. degree — an amount
  23. charge — electricity
  24. charge — a price

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