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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. object — an aim
  5. content — happy
  6. chip — to eat
  7. saw — the tool
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. file — a line of people
  11. charge — a price
  12. saw — the tool
  13. object — to protest
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. charge — electricity
  19. object — a thing
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — in control
  23. perch — the fish
  24. content — the amount

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