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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: perch · craft · cold · pound · chip · season · mug · wake

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. cold — an illness
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. chip — for betting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mug — a face
  17. craft — boats
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. season — in sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chip — to eat
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cold — not warm

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