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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: perch · fine · band · foot · roll · kid · charge · drill

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fine — all right
  5. drill — the tool
  6. kid — child
  7. roll — a list
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — a price
  10. perch — the fish
  11. fine — high quality
  12. band — a ring
  13. kid — to tease
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. charge — in control
  16. foot — a measure
  17. charge — electricity
  18. band — a music group
  19. roll — a cake
  20. drill — a practice
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — army training

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