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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: squash · date · charge · bowl · mine · spell · perch · current

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. current — electric
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. current — of water
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. charge — a price
  11. spell — a short time
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mine — for digging
  14. spell — magic
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. charge — in control
  18. current — happening now
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. perch — the fish
  23. date — the fruit
  24. charge — electricity

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