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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: perch · net · swing · racket · capital · charge · craft · wave

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. charge — in control
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. charge — a price
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. capital — a city
  13. perch — the fish
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. capital — money
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. net — for catching
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. swing — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. charge — electricity

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