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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · row · perch · bat · season · swing · stand · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. season — of the year
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — music
  15. pop — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. row — a line
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bat — the animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. swing — to play on
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. row — to paddle

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