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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. track — a song
  3. pitch — completely
  4. hand — in cards
  5. track — to keep track
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. perch — the fish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. track — a path
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. perch — for a bird

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