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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bear — the animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — humankind
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. race — the arms race
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — the underground
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. perch — the fish
  24. coach — a trainer

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