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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cap · rash · net · chip · squash · stand · lean

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — for catching
  3. rash — a series
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — thin
  9. net — after costs
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. cap — of ice
  14. lean — to bend
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — to crush
  22. chip — for betting
  23. net — in sport
  24. perch — the fish

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