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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: deal · chip · lie · mine · perch · suit · band · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. perch — the fish
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. suit — clothes
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — for betting
  21. deal — to handle
  22. suit — to fit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. suit — in cards

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