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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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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hand — in cards
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mug — a face
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fine — all right
  19. mug — a cup
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. fine — high quality
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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