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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. file — a document
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. swing — to play on
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — employees
  7. file — a tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a signal
  12. spring — the season
  13. file — a line of people
  14. swing — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. cue — a hint
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — the fish
  19. swing — in golf
  20. cue — for pool
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. staff — a stick

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