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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — music
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — the time now
  10. rock — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. present — there
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pop — soda
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. present — a gift
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pop — to visit
  24. straw — dry grass

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