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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: trunk · wave · march · charge · game · bound · perch · bulb

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. charge — a price
  5. game — wild animals
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bound — certain
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bound — tied together
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — in control
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. march — music
  23. game — a match
  24. bound — obliged

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