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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
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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: chair · mug · perch · land · bore · game · stand · mine

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chair — a leader
  4. game — a match
  5. stand — to bear
  6. land — to come down
  7. mug — to rob
  8. land — a country
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mine — for digging
  11. land — ground
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mug — a face
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — to tire

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