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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chip · cell · mug · track · rash · roll · perch · squash

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mug — a face
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cell — a phone
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. track — a song
  12. cell — in biology
  13. mug — a cup
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — a series
  16. mug — to rob
  17. track — to keep track
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. track — a path
  20. rash — hasty
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. squash — to crush

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