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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stock — goods
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — a subject
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chip — to eat
  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