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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
468
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: bore · bear · bat · charge · scale · tube · perch · cell

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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 — in control
  2. bore — to tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cell — a phone
  15. charge — electricity
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — in biology
  18. charge — a price
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bat — the animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bore — gave birth
  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