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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: rock · mouse · perch · march · mine · spell · squash · charge

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — electricity
  6. spell — a short time
  7. squash — to crush
  8. rock — a stone
  9. march — music
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. march — the month
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. spell — magic
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rock — music
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. charge — in control
  24. perch — the fish

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