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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.

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: charge · ball · bark · bowl · perch · content · land · pit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. content — happy
  3. charge — in control
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — a hole
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. charge — electricity
  13. land — to come down
  14. charge — a price
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. land — a country
  17. bark — to shout
  18. content — the amount
  19. land — ground
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pit — in a race
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bowl — to roll

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