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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rock — music
  9. swing — music
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — of a king
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tube — a container
  17. swing — to play on
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. racket — for tennis

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