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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: mouse · perch · mine · game · rush · chip · race · coach

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. race — the arms race
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. race — humankind
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. race — a contest
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mine — for digging
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. game — wild animals

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