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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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468
Word bank
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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 · mug · bowl · perch · can · staff · cell · drill

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. chip — to eat
  5. staff — employees
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. drill — a practice
  9. drill — army training
  10. staff — employees
  11. cell — a phone
  12. staff — a stick
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mug — a face
  18. drill — the tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bowl — to roll

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