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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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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: fork · charge · chair · mug · club · perch · bay · deal

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a cup
  3. charge — electricity
  4. club — for golf
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. club — for dancing
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. charge — in control
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mug — a face
  13. chair — a leader
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. perch — the fish
  22. charge — a price
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. club — a group

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