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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 120 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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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: chip · perch · rash · cap · content · bulb · bear · mate

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. content — the amount
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — a series
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. content — happy
  19. rash — hasty
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chip — to eat
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. cap — a lid

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