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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 116 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: rest · perch · ball · charge · kid · bay · can · mine

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. charge — in control
  5. can — a tin
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. charge — electricity
  8. can — a tin
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kid — child
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. can — to be able to
  21. rest — a break
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. rest — what's left
  24. perch — for a bird

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