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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. suit — clothes
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chip — for betting
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — after costs
  12. capital — a city
  13. suit — in cards
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. suit — to fit
  16. capital — money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — a flat piece

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