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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · current · season · perch · snap · net · bound · racket

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. current — happening now
  5. perch — the fish
  6. current — of water
  7. snap — to click
  8. bound — obliged
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bound — certain
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. chair — a leader
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. season — in sport
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bound — tied together
  20. current — electric
  21. season — of the year
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. racket — a loud noise

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