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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. perch — the fish
  2. land — a country
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rest — a break
  6. land — to come down
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chair — a leader
  20. land — ground
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chip — for betting
  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