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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chip — to eat
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — a trace
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pit — a hole
  13. object — an aim
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. object — a thing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — in a race
  18. file — a line of people
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. file — a document
  23. fine — all right
  24. chip — for betting

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