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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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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: stand · kick · charge · roll · cabinet · swing · perch · bass

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. charge — electricity
  7. swing — in golf
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bass — low music
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. stand — to bear
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bass — the fish
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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