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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. track — a song
  3. hand — help
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — the fish
  7. suit — to fit
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. object — an aim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. object — to protest
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stem — to come from
  14. suit — in cards
  15. track — a path
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. hand — in cards
  18. roll — a cake
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. roll — a list
  24. object — a thing

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