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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
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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: fine · band · roll · pitcher · charge · ball · spell · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. roll — a cake
  5. charge — electricity
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fine — all right
  12. roll — a list
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. spell — letters
  18. ball — a great time
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ball — a dance
  22. band — a ring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fine — high quality

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