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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: fall · perch · charge · date · bat · club · arm · pass

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. fall — to drop
  3. club — for dancing
  4. date — the fruit
  5. charge — in control
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fall — to drop
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. perch — the fish
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — a permit
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. club — for golf
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. fall — the season
  19. charge — a price
  20. club — a group
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bat — the animal

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