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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: chip · mine · perch · bass · lie · roll · game · board

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mine — for digging
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. board — a committee
  19. chip — for betting
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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