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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kid — child
  8. pop — soda
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pop — music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rest — a break
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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