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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: charge · perch · stand · game · kick · saw · chip · arm

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — in control
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. charge — a price
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. game — a match
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kick — in football
  19. saw — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stand — to bear
  23. perch — the fish
  24. chip — for betting

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