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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: squash · perch · chip · racket · lash · deal · lean · ground

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. squash — the sport
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lean — thin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. ground — a position
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chip — to eat
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ground — the earth
  15. squash — to crush
  16. chip — for betting
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. deal — to handle
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — to rest against

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