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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · chip · board · net · chair · game · staff · perch

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. board — to get on
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. board — a committee
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. net — in sport
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chip — for betting
  17. net — for catching
  18. face — part of the head
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — after costs
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chip — to eat
  24. perch — the fish

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