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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.

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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: rash · club · perch · ground · staff · chip · nail · mark

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — a position
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mark — a grade
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rash — a series
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chip — for betting
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rash — hasty
  24. mark — to pay attention

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