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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: sharp · charge · jam · fan · court · pop · deal · perch

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. charge — in control
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — of a king
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. charge — electricity
  15. perch — the fish
  16. court — of law
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. sharp — clever
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. court — for sport

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