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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bound — tied together
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cell — a phone
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stock — shares
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. stock — goods
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bound — certain
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bound — obliged
  15. sharp — clever
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. chip — to eat
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. saw — the tool

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