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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: bat · bear · suit · squash · chip · bark · chair · perch

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. chair — a leader
  5. squash — the sport
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bark — to shout
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. chip — for betting
  14. suit — in cards
  15. chip — to eat
  16. perch — the fish
  17. squash — to crush
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chair — a professorship

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