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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 · chip · perch · deal · last · cap · net · mug

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. ground — the earth
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. ground — crushed
  6. deal — to handle
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — after costs
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. last — to go on
  13. cap — a lid
  14. net — for catching
  15. mug — a face
  16. last — finally
  17. chip — to eat
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ground — a position
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. last — final
  22. net — in sport
  23. mug — to rob
  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