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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 · stand · bowl · track · swing · chip · row · lash

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. stand — to bear
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. track — to keep track
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. track — a song
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. track — a path
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chip — to eat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chip — for betting
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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