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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — the time now
  8. squash — the sport
  9. club — for golf
  10. last — finally
  11. perch — the fish
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. last — to go on
  15. present — a gift
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. club — a group
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. last — final
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bat — the animal

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