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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 · perch · jam · land · cue · saw · charge · race

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. race — the arms race
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. land — ground
  7. charge — a price
  8. land — to come down
  9. cue — a hint
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. race — a contest
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. race — humankind
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — in control
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cue — a signal
  22. perch — the fish
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. land — a country

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