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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 120 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: bay · season · rush · kick · board · perch · chair · racket

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. board — to get on
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. board — a committee
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. chair — a leader
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. kick — in football
  17. rush — hurry
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — in sport
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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