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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 116 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: mouse · kick · chip · pound · row · race · march · perch

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pound — a weight
  4. march — the month
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. march — music
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. race — humankind
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — in football
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. row — to paddle
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. race — a contest
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. row — a line
  24. race — the arms race

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