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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. land — a country
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. land — ground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — to come down
  23. perch — the fish
  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