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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: leaves · firm · ball · date · game · perch · chip · lean

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. perch — the fish
  3. firm — steady
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. ball — a dance
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — for betting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. firm — decided
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. game — a match
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ball — a great time
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. game — wild animals
  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