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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: leaves · chip · perch · pound · last · shower · mark · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pound — a weight
  13. last — to go on
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — finally
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. last — final
  24. chip — for betting

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