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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tube — the underground
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — magic
  9. land — a country
  10. land — ground
  11. perch — the fish
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. land — to come down
  15. rush — hurry
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — letters
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tube — a container
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tube — in a tire

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