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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. present — there
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a song
  5. chip — to eat
  6. present — a gift
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. track — a path
  12. perch — the fish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. board — a committee
  17. present — the time now
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. vault — a safe
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chip — for betting
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. board — to get on

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