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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chip — for betting
  3. row — a line
  4. object — to protest
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — to eat
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. chair — a leader
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. perch — the fish
  15. object — an aim
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. object — a thing
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chair — to sit on

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