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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pop — to visit
  5. can — a tin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bound — certain
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. bound — tied together
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. plane — a tool
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pop — music
  21. chip — for betting
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. can — a tin

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