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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: racket · game · row · bank · plane · perch · scale · chest

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bank — of a river
  3. game — wild animals
  4. plane — a tool
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. game — a match
  7. row — a line
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bank — for money
  12. row — to paddle
  13. scale — in music
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. chest — a box
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chest — of your body
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. chest — of your body
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bank — for money
  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