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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — the fish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. file — a tool
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stand — to bear
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stand — on your feet

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