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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
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: club · kid · saw · bark · perch · track · charge · wax

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — electricity
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a song
  6. club — a group
  7. bark — to shout
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. track — a path
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. kid — to tease
  13. perch — the fish
  14. club — for golf
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. charge — in control
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — for dancing
  23. charge — a price
  24. track — to keep track

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