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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: cap · wound · date · chip · perch · pass · content · wake

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wake — a trail
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cap — of ice
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — to eat
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wound — an injury
  14. content — the amount
  15. cap — a lid
  16. content — happy
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pass — a permit
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chip — for betting

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