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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.

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: mine · mug · perch · can · wound · sharp · stand · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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 — a kind of play
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. game — wild animals
  5. can — a tin
  6. mug — to rob
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mug — a cup
  9. game — a match
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mug — a face
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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