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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 116 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: perch · chip · firm · ground · straw · cap · patient · bay

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. firm — a company
  3. cap — a lid
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ground — crushed
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chip — for betting
  23. perch — the fish
  24. ground — a position

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