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

Word bank: snap · bank · swing · perch · racket · content · suit · net

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. content — the amount
  3. suit — to fit
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. suit — clothes
  6. swing — music
  7. bank — of a river
  8. net — after costs
  9. swing — in golf
  10. content — happy
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. net — in sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. snap — to click
  22. swing — to play on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bank — for money

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