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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 · ruler · deal · perch · mouse · mine · net · cap

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. net — in sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. mine — for digging
  17. perch — the fish
  18. cap — of ice
  19. net — after costs
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cap — a lid

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