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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 · row · perch · sharp · season · last · wake · march

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. march — the month
  4. last — to go on
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. row — to paddle
  7. charge — a price
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. march — music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. season — of the year
  12. row — a line
  13. season — in sport
  14. march — the month
  15. charge — electricity
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. last — finally
  18. perch — the fish
  19. sharp — clever
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wake — a trail
  24. last — final

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