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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chip — to eat
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. present — a gift
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. net — in sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. present — there
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. present — the time now
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pop — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. perch — the fish

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