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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: perch · chip · bound · bat · land · rock · calf · sharp

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. land — a country
  4. land — ground
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bound — tied together
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rock — a stone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — obliged
  17. land — to come down
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bound — certain
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rock — 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