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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: row · rush · racket · ball · perch · pit · cold · bore

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ball — a great time
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — to tire
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cold — not warm
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. row — a line
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. perch — for a bird

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