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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: bay · roll · chip · capital · mouse · perch · leaves · prune

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. roll — a list
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — to eat
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. capital — a city
  16. roll — a cake
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. capital — money
  20. prune — to trim
  21. chip — for betting
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. prune — to trim
  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