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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: perch · toast · bass · racket · ground · swing · suit · leaves

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — the fish
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. ground — a position
  11. bass — the fish
  12. suit — to fit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. toast — bread
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. suit — clothes
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — the earth
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — crushed

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