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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 120 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: ball · arm · club · chip · pop · perch · saw · current

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — to eat
  3. club — a group
  4. ball — a dance
  5. club — for dancing
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — electric
  11. pop — to visit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. current — of water
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chip — for betting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. club — for golf
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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