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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · wake · perch · file · court · saw · racket · suit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — a trail
  3. suit — to fit
  4. court — of a king
  5. file — a tool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. suit — in cards
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — for sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. file — a document
  13. fine — all right
  14. court — of law
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. fine — high quality
  17. suit — clothes
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. saw — the tool

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