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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: perch · net · trunk · chip · dip · wound

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chip — for betting
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. net — after costs
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. dip — to sink
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. net — for catching
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. 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