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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: perch · racket · rash · deal · present · vault · sharp · toast

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. present — the time now
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. sharp — clever
  8. perch — the fish
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rash — a series
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. vault — a safe
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. toast — bread
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. deal — to handle
  22. present — there
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — hasty

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