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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · foot · straw · chip · perch · mine · can · date

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — a measure
  3. mine — for digging
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. date — the fruit
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mine — an explosive

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