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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. hand — help
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — the amount
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rule — a law
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rule — government
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pit — a hole
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hand — in cards
  20. content — happy
  21. pit — in a race
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. content — videos and posts

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