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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: perch · chip · pass · cell · root · game · nail · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cell — in biology
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. cell — a phone
  6. root — of a word
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pass — a permit
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — a match
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pitcher — a jug

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