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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: object · lean · cap · chip · cue · perch · pit · shower

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. shower — rain
  7. cap — a hat
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cue — a hint
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lean — to bend
  15. object — an aim
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chip — to eat
  18. object — a thing
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — a signal
  21. pit — a hole
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lean — thin
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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