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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.

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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 · tear · scale · racket · rule · suit · bay · craft

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a skill
  3. suit — clothes
  4. scale — in music
  5. suit — to fit
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rule — a law
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — government
  13. tear — to rip
  14. craft — boats
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tear — from crying
  22. perch — the fish
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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