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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: court · rash · rest · deal · perch · racket · can · straw

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. perch — the fish
  7. court — of a king
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — hasty
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rash — a series
  12. court — of law
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rest — a break
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. can — a tin
  24. rash — on the skin

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