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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: mine · pitch · craft · perch · racket · lash · snap · rest

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rest — a break
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. mine — for digging
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — a skill
  21. craft — boats
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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