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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: rock · leaves · chip · mouse · perch · game · bass · roll

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. game — a match
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. perch — the fish
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chip — to eat
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. roll — a list
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — low music
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mouse — for 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