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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. 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. pop — music
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pop — to visit
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pop — soda
  10. perch — the fish
  11. club — for golf
  12. chair — a leader
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — in football
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. squash — the sport
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. club — for dancing
  20. branch — a division
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. 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