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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: fan · race · suit · prune · perch · racket · chip · chest

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chest — of your body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chest — of your body
  5. perch — the fish
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. chest — a box
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chip — for betting
  10. race — a contest
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. race — the arms race
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. race — humankind
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chip — to eat
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. fan — a supporter

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