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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · bat · perch · deal · face · chip · board · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. board — a committee
  13. chip — to eat
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — the animal
  18. face — to point toward
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. face — to confront
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. perch — the fish
  24. board — to get on

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