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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: staff · perch · swing · bear · racket · roll · season · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. staff — a stick
  3. perch — the fish
  4. roll — a cake
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — to play on
  11. season — in sport
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. season — of the year
  14. roll — a list
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — in golf
  19. firm — steady
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — decided
  24. swing — music

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