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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: coach · file · racket · swing · fork · press · perch · dip

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. dip — to sink
  9. press — to push
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. file — a document
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. file — a tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. swing — to play on
  18. file — a line of people
  19. press — newspapers
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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