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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mug — to rob
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. roll — a list
  10. last — to go on
  11. chip — to eat
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — a cake
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — final
  17. mug — a cup
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. chip — for betting
  22. last — finally
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mug — a face

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