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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. row — a line
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chip — for betting
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. deal — to handle
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chip — to eat
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. row — to paddle
  16. shower — rain
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. track — a song
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. perch — the fish
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rush — hurry

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