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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: fine · perch · bound · kick · bay · rest · scale · racket

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fine — high quality
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — in football
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. fine — all right
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bound — tied together
  18. scale — in music
  19. bound — certain
  20. scale — size or range
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rest — a break
  24. racket — for tennis

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