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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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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: stick · charge · perch · cell · racket · fine · suit · chair

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. charge — in control
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — all right
  5. suit — in cards
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — a price
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — to fit
  12. chair — a leader
  13. charge — electricity
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cell — a phone
  20. suit — clothes
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cell — in biology
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chair — a professorship

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