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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. last — to go on
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. can — to be able to
  9. perch — the fish
  10. last — final
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a ring
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. last — finally
  19. prune — to trim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — a trainer

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