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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: perch · pitcher · rash · coach · band · club · current · charge

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — in control
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. current — electric
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — for dancing
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. band — a music group
  17. band — a ring
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — the fish
  22. club — a group
  23. current — of water
  24. coach — a trainer

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