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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
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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: foot · charge · perch · tube · deal · spell · season · pitcher

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. spell — a short time
  3. charge — a price
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. charge — electricity
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. foot — a measure
  9. season — in sport
  10. spell — letters
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. tube — a container
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — the underground
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. charge — in control
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. deal — to handle
  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