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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: mark · shower · coach · perch · court · rest · date · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. court — of law
  3. rest — a break
  4. mark — a trace
  5. rest — what's left
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. court — of a king
  11. charge — a price
  12. perch — the fish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. charge — in control
  15. shower — to wash
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. court — for sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. shower — rain
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rest — what's left

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