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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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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 · bank · bulb · perch · pound · foot · sharp · band

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — a price
  3. bank — of a river
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. sharp — clever
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. charge — in control
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a ring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. pound — a weight
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — a measure
  24. sharp — exactly

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