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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: swing · perch · plane · pop · tube · rock · fine · wake

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wake — a trail
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. swing — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. swing — in golf
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — music
  14. fine — all right
  15. pop — music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tube — a container
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pop — soda
  22. rock — a stone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — before a funeral

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