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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: chip · perch · row · cue · vault · bear · hand · file

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. vault — a safe
  7. perch — the fish
  8. file — a tool
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. file — a document
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. cue — a hint
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. row — to paddle
  16. file — a line of people
  17. hand — in cards
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. chip — for betting
  24. hand — help

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