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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fine — high quality
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — all right
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chip — to eat
  18. last — finally
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chip — for betting
  23. date — the fruit
  24. perch — for a bird

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