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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. squash — the sport
  9. court — for sport
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. court — of law
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. squash — to crush
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — hurry
  22. court — of a king
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rush — a thrill

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