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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — a tin
  6. chest — a box
  7. can — a tin
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chest — of your body
  10. perch — the fish
  11. spell — magic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — letters
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rock — music
  16. can — to be able to
  17. rock — a stone
  18. racket — a loud noise

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