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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: race · perch · calf · racket · pit · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. swing — in golf
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. race — a contest
  7. pit — in a race
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pit — a hole
  13. race — humankind
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. race — the arms race
  18. calf — a young animal

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