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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. press — newspapers
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stock — goods
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — a publisher
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — help
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wound — an injury
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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