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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: charge · land · suit · pop · foot · squash · perch · stand

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. land — a country
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — electricity
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. land — to come down
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. suit — to fit
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stand — to bear
  15. charge — in control
  16. land — ground
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. perch — the fish
  20. suit — clothes
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. charge — a price

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