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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 · pass · present · tear · perch · kick · suit · cap

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. suit — in cards
  4. present — a gift
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cap — of ice
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. present — the time now
  11. tear — from crying
  12. suit — to fit
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chip — to eat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. present — there
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tear — from crying
  23. suit — clothes
  24. perch — the fish

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