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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bound — certain
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — the amount
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. content — happy
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. chip — for betting

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