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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.

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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 · perch · cue · march · lie · deal · racket · fall

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — a signal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. deal — to handle
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. charge — in control
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cue — for pool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lie — to recline
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fall — to drop
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. fall — the season

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