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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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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: perch · rest · swing · mine · temple · chip · vault · fork

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. chip — to eat
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — in golf
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rest — a break
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chip — for betting
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mine — for digging
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — in a road
  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