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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · field · pop · perch · root · snap · shower · mouse

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. perch — the fish
  5. root — of a word
  6. chip — for betting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. root — of a plant
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. snap — to click
  16. shower — to wash
  17. root — the cause
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — soda
  22. field — a subject
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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