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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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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: perch · staff · cabinet · straw · deal · rock · chip · sharp

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. perch — the fish
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. deal — to handle
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. staff — a stick
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — a stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cabinet — ministers

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