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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. date — the fruit
  4. net — in sport
  5. swing — to play on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — army training
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. swing — music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. drill — a practice
  12. firm — steady
  13. swing — in golf
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. perch — the fish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — after costs
  19. firm — a company
  20. drill — the tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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