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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: arm · swing · perch · fine · mine · chip · charge · bound

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bound — certain
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — all right
  7. swing — music
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chip — for betting
  12. perch — the fish
  13. swing — in golf
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. charge — in control
  16. bound — tied together
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bound — obliged
  22. charge — electricity
  23. swing — to play on
  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