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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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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 · spring · bass · rock · nail · kick · present

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bass — low music
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — the arms race
  12. rock — a stone
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spring — of water
  22. rock — music
  23. kick — in football
  24. nail — for a hammer

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