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

Word bank: mate · mug · bowl · perch · chip · chair · land · stick

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. mug — a face
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mug — a cup
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. land — ground
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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