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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: lie · chip · bay · pit · calf · content · ball · perch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. content — happy
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ball — a dance
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pit — a hole
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pit — in a race
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. content — the amount
  24. chip — in a computer

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