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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: chip · perch · mine · drill · coach · game · pass · plane

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chip — to eat
  4. drill — a practice
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mine — for digging
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. game — a match
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. plane — a tool
  20. drill — the tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. coach — a trainer

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