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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 116 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: lash · mug · land · racket · perch · deal · band · ball

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. band — a music group
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mug — a cup
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — to rob
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. land — ground
  11. land — a country
  12. band — a ring
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ball — a dance
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — to handle
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mug — a face
  24. land — to come down

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