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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · ball · spring · chair · pit · wake · charge · mouse

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wake — a trail
  4. chair — a leader
  5. perch — the fish
  6. spring — the season
  7. charge — a price
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. charge — in control
  13. ball — a great time
  14. spring — of water
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pit — in a race
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — before a funeral

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