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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.

Words on the sheet
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: perch · degree · file · fan · chip · lean · pop · present

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. degree — an amount
  3. chip — to eat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pop — music
  14. lean — to bend
  15. degree — from a university
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — the time now
  19. chip — for betting
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. file — a document
  23. lean — thin
  24. fan — a supporter

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