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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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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: chip · wound · mouse · land · charge · root · hide · perch

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — for betting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — of a plant
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — the cause
  13. charge — electricity
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. perch — the fish
  18. charge — a price
  19. root — of a word
  20. land — to come down
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. land — a country
  24. land — ground

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