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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: sharp · perch · object · pitcher · charge · tube · stock · wave

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. object — to protest
  4. tube — a container
  5. object — an aim
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. charge — electricity
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. charge — in control
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. tube — the underground
  12. object — a thing
  13. stock — shares
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — goods
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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