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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 124 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: bat · rest · chip · club · arm · perch · firm · mouse

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — a company
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rest — a break
  6. firm — decided
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. club — for golf
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mouse — the animal

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