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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tear — to rip
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. temple — a place of worship

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