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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — a face
  4. chair — a leader
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — to rob
  14. swing — music
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — to play on
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. racket — a loud noise

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