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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 · bass · season · mug · perch · bore · nail · toast

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mug — a cup
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. charge — a price
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. toast — bread
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — a face
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bass — low music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bass — the fish
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — in control
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — the fish
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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