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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. roll — a list
  4. wound — an injury
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cue — a signal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chip — to eat
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. chip — for betting
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. drill — the tool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — a hint
  22. shower — rain
  23. cue — for pool
  24. shower — to wash

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