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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: game · board · drill · perch · straw · bass · arm · mug

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. board — to get on
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mug — a face
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — low music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. game — wild animals
  15. drill — army training
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. board — a committee
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mug — a cup
  21. game — a match
  22. mug — to rob
  23. drill — the tool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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