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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: ground · perch · racket · rash · pit · band · mug · bore

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. mug — to rob
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mug — a cup
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bore — to tire
  9. band — a ring
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mug — a face
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. band — a music group
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ground — the earth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pit — in a race
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rash — a series
  23. band — a rubber band
  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