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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: perch · charge · march · prune · kick · fan · nail · track

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. charge — in control
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. charge — electricity
  7. track — a song
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. track — to keep track
  14. perch — the fish
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. prune — to trim
  17. track — a path
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. charge — a price
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. march — music
  23. prune — to trim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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