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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 120 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
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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: perch · mark · game · charge · fan · content · craft · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — a price
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. perch — the fish
  8. craft — boats
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mark — a trace
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a grade
  15. content — the amount
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. craft — a skill
  18. charge — in control
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. game — wild animals
  24. content — happy

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