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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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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: last · racket · key · perch · mug · swing · leaves · chest

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. mug — a face
  2. last — final
  3. key — for a lock
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chest — of your body
  7. swing — to play on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. chest — of your body
  10. swing — music
  11. last — to go on
  12. key — the most important part
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. last — finally
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. perch — the fish
  18. key — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chest — a box
  23. swing — in golf
  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