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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. net — for catching
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lie — to recline
  5. deal — to handle
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. firm — steady
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — in cards
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. net — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. last — finally

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