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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: board · temple · bank · season · perch · bat · chip · game

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. season — of the year
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bat — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chip — to eat
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. season — in sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. chip — for betting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. board — a committee
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — a match
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bat — for baseball

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