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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: date · club · perch · lash · cold · scale · charge · land

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — to come down
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. charge — electricity
  6. land — a country
  7. perch — the fish
  8. scale — size or range
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. date — the fruit
  12. club — a group
  13. scale — in music
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. cold — an illness
  17. club — for golf
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. club — for dancing
  23. charge — a price
  24. land — ground

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