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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 120 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: temple · perch · squash · charge · field · hide · stand · court

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. court — for sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. field — a subject
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. field — farmland
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. court — of a king
  16. field — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. charge — a price
  23. squash — to crush
  24. temple — a place of worship

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