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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.

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: tube · squash · perch · staff · pop · saw · racket · season

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — in sport
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. saw — the tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. season — of the year
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. staff — a stick
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. pop — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. tube — the underground
  21. squash — to crush
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. perch — the fish

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