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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: perch · pitcher · present · club · nail · track · charge · ruler

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — the time now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. track — a path
  10. charge — a price
  11. present — a gift
  12. club — for golf
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. track — to keep track
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. charge — electricity
  17. present — there
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — a group
  20. track — a song
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  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