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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.

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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: ground · rush · fan · charge · land · club · leaves · perch

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — the earth
  4. land — to come down
  5. club — a group
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. club — for golf
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. perch — the fish
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. club — for dancing
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — to hurry

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