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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: coach · roll · charge · fork · wave · last · perch · scale

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. last — finally
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — electricity
  5. perch — the fish
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — in control
  9. scale — in music
  10. last — to go on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — final
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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