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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: chip · perch · cap · wind · scale · saw · board · stick

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cap — a lid
  10. wind — moving air
  11. scale — in music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wind — moving air
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — size or range
  18. board — to get on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cap — a hat
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cap — of ice
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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