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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — completely
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rock — music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. cabinet — ministers

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