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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 · object · prune · season · perch · bear · cap · cabinet

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cap — a lid
  5. object — an aim
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cap — of ice
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — a thing
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. perch — the fish
  20. object — to protest
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. prune — to trim
  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