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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 116 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: firm · perch · rash · chip · mouse · wound · ground · can

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. can — a tin
  3. chip — to eat
  4. firm — decided
  5. ground — a position
  6. can — a tin
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — to be able to
  15. firm — steady
  16. wound — an injury
  17. firm — a company
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chip — for betting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rash — a series

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