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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
468
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: pop · stem · charge · court · perch · content · leaves · mate

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. court — of law
  7. pop — soda
  8. court — of a king
  9. mate — a partner
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mate — a friend
  12. perch — the fish
  13. court — for sport
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pop — to visit
  16. content — happy
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. charge — a price
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pop — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. charge — in control

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