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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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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: racket · perch · cap · pit · temple · swing · root · pitch

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pitch — completely
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. root — the cause
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. root — of a word
  13. pit — a hole
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pit — in a race
  16. swing — to play on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. swing — in golf
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a plant
  23. swing — music
  24. temple — side of the head

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