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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: charge · pass · roll · fall · bore · swing · perch · coach

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. charge — a price
  3. roll — a list
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bore — to drill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — the season
  16. roll — a cake
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pass — a permit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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