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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. game — wild animals
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stock — goods
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. dip — to sink
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chip — to eat
  14. kid — child
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. perch — the fish
  18. kid — to tease
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stock — shares
  23. game — a match
  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