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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. charge — in control
  3. perch — the fish
  4. mate — a friend
  5. can — to be able to
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — to breed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. race — the arms race
  17. can — a tin
  18. race — humankind
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mate — a partner
  21. can — a tin
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. race — a contest
  24. charge — a price

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