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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: hide · racket · chair · mug · jam · perch · stand · drill

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. drill — army training
  5. chair — a leader
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — to rob
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — the tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. drill — a practice
  22. stand — to bear
  23. perch — the fish
  24. mug — a cup

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