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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chip — to eat
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chip — for betting
  7. ground — the earth
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mug — to rob
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mug — a face
  13. ground — a position
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. perch — the fish

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