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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: pass · chip · hand · field · lean · perch · content · rush

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hand — in cards
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. field — for sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. content — happy
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pass — a permit
  13. content — the amount
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. field — a subject
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. lean — thin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lean — to bend
  22. hand — help
  23. field — farmland
  24. chip — to eat

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