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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. drill — a practice
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chip — to eat
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rock — a stone
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. race — a contest
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. staff — a stick
  16. race — humankind
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — wild animals
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — to shout
  22. game — a match
  23. rock — music
  24. staff — employees

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