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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
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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: game · bear · mug · wound · field · chip · trunk · perch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. field — farmland
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bear — the animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mug — a face
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chip — to eat
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. game — wild animals
  18. field — a subject
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. game — a match
  22. mug — to rob
  23. perch — the fish
  24. field — for sport

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