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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: perch · mark · squash · season · chip · tear · track · board

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chip — to eat
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mark — a trace
  7. board — a committee
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tear — to rip
  10. season — in sport
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a grade
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. season — of the year
  16. track — to keep track
  17. squash — the sport
  18. board — to get on
  19. tear — from crying
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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