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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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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: ground · perch · object · row · ruler · chip · dip · field

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chip — for betting
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ground — a position
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. object — to protest
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — to eat
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a line
  15. field — for sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. field — farmland
  19. object — an aim
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. row — to paddle
  23. object — a thing
  24. dip — to sink

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