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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: trunk · last · toast · chip · perch · game · pound · lie

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. last — finally
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. toast — bread
  8. chip — to eat
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. lie — to recline
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pound — a weight
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. last — to go on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — a match
  23. last — final
  24. game — wild animals

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