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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. hand — help
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. hand — in cards
  7. plane — a tool
  8. present — there
  9. bass — the fish
  10. root — the cause
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. root — of a word
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. root — of a plant
  15. chip — to eat
  16. present — a gift
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — low music
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. hand — part of the body

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