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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.

Make a worksheet

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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. land — to come down
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. land — ground
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. spell — letters
  17. toast — bread
  18. can — a tin
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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