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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · perch · wind · racket · straw · firm

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. firm — steady
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. perch — the fish
  12. firm — decided
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. firm — a company
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. deal — to handle

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