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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: board · firm · perch · rest · charge · scale · pop · land

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. charge — in control
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — what's left
  5. board — to get on
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. land — to come down
  9. perch — the fish
  10. charge — a price
  11. scale — size or range
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. land — ground
  14. land — a country
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — to visit
  22. board — a committee
  23. scale — in music
  24. pop — music

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