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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: swing · cap · perch · stick · dip · staff · mouse · kid

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — a lid
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. kid — child
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. swing — music
  22. kid — to tease
  23. dip — to sink
  24. perch — the fish

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