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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bank · net · perch · game · bay · mug · straw

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. game — a match
  3. bank — for money
  4. perch — the fish
  5. game — wild animals
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. charge — in control
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — to rob
  11. net — for catching
  12. bank — for money
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. charge — a price
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — a face
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mug — a cup
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. net — in sport
  23. bank — of a river
  24. straw — dry grass

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