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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — a weight
  5. staff — employees
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chip — to eat
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fall — the season
  10. bass — low music
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fall — to drop
  13. craft — boats
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fall — to drop
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wake — a trail
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bass — the fish
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — a skill

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