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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. pitch — completely
  7. swing — music
  8. land — to come down
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — in control
  11. row — a line
  12. charge — a price
  13. perch — the fish
  14. land — a country
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. swing — to play on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. swing — in golf
  20. charge — electricity
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. land — ground

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