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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chip — to eat
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stock — goods
  11. stock — shares
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. chip — for betting
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bulb — for light
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stock — a soup base

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