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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: racket · swing · pitcher · rock · shower · foot · temple · perch

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. shower — rain
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. shower — to wash
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rock — music
  13. swing — music
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — a measure
  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