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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 120 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. file — a document
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — in a race
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. perch — the fish
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chair — a professorship

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