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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. band — a music group
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — music
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rock — a stone
  11. club — a group
  12. pit — a hole
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. kick — in football
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — for golf
  19. pit — in a race
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. snap — to click
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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