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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: club · mouse · temple · perch · ground · charge · staff · straw

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. club — a group
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. charge — in control
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. staff — employees
  9. perch — the fish
  10. staff — a stick
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for dancing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. charge — a price
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. club — for golf
  23. charge — electricity
  24. ground — crushed

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