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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: can · racket · wound · coach · cap · perch · club · wave

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. cap — of ice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. perch — the fish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. can — to be able to
  14. club — a group
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. perch — for a bird

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