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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: deal · straw · board · ground · bound · bulb · perch · charge

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — to get on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. charge — a price
  7. ground — a position
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bound — certain
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ground — crushed
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bound — tied together
  17. deal — to handle
  18. board — a committee
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. charge — in control

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