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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · lean · chip · pop · perch · date · temple · chair

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pop — to visit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pop — soda
  8. date — the fruit
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. perch — the fish
  16. current — of water
  17. pop — music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lean — thin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chair — a professorship

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