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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 120 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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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: charge · last · racket · calf · foot · cell · perch · craft

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cell — in biology
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — electricity
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. charge — in control
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. craft — a skill
  9. last — final
  10. charge — a price
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — to go on
  16. craft — boats
  17. cell — a phone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. last — finally
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. perch — the fish
  24. foot — part of the body

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