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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: pass · court · wake · racket · perch · mouse · bulb · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of law
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pass — a permit
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — in a computer

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