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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.

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: tube · craft · charge · perch · row · leaves · mouse · march

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — a container
  3. charge — a price
  4. craft — a skill
  5. row — to paddle
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. craft — boats
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — the underground
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — the fish
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. charge — electricity
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. charge — in control
  22. row — a line
  23. march — the month
  24. leaves — lets stay

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