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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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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: band · perch · stand · charge · present · dip · chest · fork

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. charge — a price
  7. stand — to bear
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. present — a gift
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — electricity
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. present — the time now
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chest — of your body
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. band — a music group
  21. chest — of your body
  22. perch — the fish
  23. present — there
  24. chest — a box

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