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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 116 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: club · charge · perch · last · rash · board · rock · object

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. object — a thing
  3. board — to get on
  4. rash — a series
  5. club — for golf
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. board — a committee
  9. club — for dancing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. object — to protest
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. charge — a price
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rock — a stone
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — music
  20. last — finally
  21. object — an aim
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. charge — in control
  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