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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: charge · root · march · perch · bass · fan · leaves · scale

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bass — the fish
  3. scale — in music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bass — low music
  7. charge — a price
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. march — the month
  11. scale — size or range
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — in control
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. root — of a word
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. root — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. march — music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. root — the cause

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