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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
468
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: fine · wind · bark · spell · perch · charge · prune · club

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. perch — the fish
  3. spell — a short time
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spell — magic
  6. bark — to shout
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spell — letters
  12. charge — electricity
  13. club — for golf
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. charge — in control
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. charge — a price
  21. fine — all right
  22. wind — moving air
  23. club — for dancing
  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