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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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468
Word bank
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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. perch — the fish
  4. squash — the sport
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. squash — to crush
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. race — a contest
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — for betting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. race — the arms race
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. race — humankind
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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