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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · perch · fan · ball · march · bore · staff · row

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. row — a line
  6. march — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to drill
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. charge — in control
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. march — the month
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. charge — a price
  17. row — to paddle
  18. staff — employees
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. march — the month
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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