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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 · kid · net · board · chip · season · hand · perch

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. season — of the year
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. net — for catching
  7. kid — child
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. kid — to tease
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. season — in sport
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chip — to eat
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — after costs
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — a committee
  24. perch — for a bird

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