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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: lie · club · band · perch · bore · racket · ground · staff

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — the earth
  6. staff — employees
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ground — a position
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bore — to drill
  12. club — a group
  13. perch — the fish
  14. club — for golf
  15. staff — employees
  16. band — a music group
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. club — for dancing
  19. band — a ring
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — to tire

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