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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 120 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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ground — a position
  8. rush — hurry
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bound — obliged
  12. object — a thing
  13. perch — the fish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ground — the earth
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bound — certain
  19. object — an aim
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. object — to protest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bowl — to roll

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