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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. perch — the fish
  3. content — happy
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. clip — for paper
  7. content — the amount
  8. clip — a video
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bank — of a river
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. clip — to cut
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bulb — for light

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