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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. present — a gift
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. perch — the fish
  7. net — for catching
  8. charge — in control
  9. tear — to rip
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — after costs
  12. charge — electricity
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. present — the time now
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. present — there
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. charge — a price
  24. net — in sport

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