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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mug — a cup
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mug — a face
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. perch — the fish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mug — to rob
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stem — to come from

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