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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · racket · mug · mouse · bore · clip

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mug — to rob
  12. clip — to cut
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bore — to drill
  16. clip — a video
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mug — a face

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