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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: perch · mark · roll · charge · last · bank · fan · mouse

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. last — final
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bank — of a river
  5. roll — a list
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. charge — in control
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. charge — a price
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. perch — the fish

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