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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — hurry
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — after costs
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. perch — for a bird

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