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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. staff — employees
  5. current — happening now
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. staff — employees
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — a stick
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. current — electric
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ground — a position
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — to eat
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chip — for betting
  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