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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: stand · date · lean · pop · leaves · ground · perch · charge

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. date — the fruit
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. ground — a position
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. charge — electricity
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. lean — thin
  24. stand — to bear

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