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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.

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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 · ground · cell · mouse · mark · lash · pass · perch

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pass — a permit
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chip — to eat
  20. ground — a position
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. lash — to lash out

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