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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 116 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: wound · mate · leaves · game · club · track · chip · perch

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mate — a partner
  6. club — a group
  7. chip — for betting
  8. track — a path
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. game — a match
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. track — a song
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. chip — to eat
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. track — to keep track
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wound — an injury
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mate — a friend
  24. club — for golf

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