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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 120 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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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 · degree · chip · swing · row · perch · board · cabinet

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. degree — an amount
  3. ground — the earth
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. row — a line
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — to paddle
  14. swing — to play on
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — to get on
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. degree — temperature
  20. ground — a position
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. chip — to eat
  24. degree — from a university

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