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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 120 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: bass · fan · net · bowl · charge · perch · court · trunk

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. charge — a price
  4. court — of a king
  5. net — in sport
  6. charge — in control
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bass — the fish
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bass — low music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — for sport
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. perch — the fish
  23. net — for catching
  24. net — after costs

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