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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. club — for golf
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. club — a group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. game — a match
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — for dancing
  11. root — of a word
  12. lean — thin
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. can — a tin
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lean — to bend
  24. root — the cause

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