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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: perch · craft · game · straw · rest · fine · chip · wake

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wake — a trail
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — boats
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. fine — all right
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rest — a break
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fine — high quality
  17. game — a match
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. perch — the fish
  22. craft — a skill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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