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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: mark · chip · perch · sharp · ruler · trunk · swing · nail

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. chip — to eat
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mark — a grade
  19. swing — in golf
  20. chip — for betting
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — a trace
  24. swing — music

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