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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: chip · content · charge · cue · perch · bound · tear · kick

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — the amount
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tear — from crying
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. bound — tied together
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cue — a hint
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chip — for betting
  20. content — happy
  21. bound — certain
  22. cue — for pool
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tear — to rip

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