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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: chip · trunk · rest · game · mouse · fork · rush · perch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. perch — the fish
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rest — a break
  24. fork — in a road

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