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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. chip — for betting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — to get on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kid — child
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. board — a committee

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