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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: squash · perch · bound · stand · object · land · charge · net

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. net — for catching
  4. bound — tied together
  5. land — a country
  6. squash — to crush
  7. object — a thing
  8. net — in sport
  9. stand — to bear
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bound — obliged
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. squash — the sport
  14. charge — in control
  15. net — after costs
  16. land — to come down
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. object — an aim
  20. bound — certain
  21. land — ground
  22. charge — a price
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. object — to protest

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