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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. last — final
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — in sport
  6. last — to go on
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pit — in a race
  10. net — after costs
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pit — a hole
  15. file — a document
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. last — finally
  19. firm — decided
  20. file — a tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. net — for catching
  24. chip — to eat

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