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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. march — the month
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. charge — a price
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — to eat
  14. march — music
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — the cause
  17. charge — in control
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chip — for betting
  20. root — of a word
  21. hand — in cards
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. charge — electricity

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