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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: bay · last · track · charge · object · coach · mate · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. object — a thing
  7. mate — a partner
  8. charge — a price
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. mate — a friend
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. object — an aim
  14. track — a path
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mate — to breed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. track — to keep track
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. last — to go on
  23. track — a song
  24. object — to protest

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