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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 · perch · foot · date · band · dip · chair · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. chair — a leader
  4. date — the fruit
  5. perch — the fish
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. foot — a measure
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. chip — for betting
  17. band — a ring
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. band — a music group
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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