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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.

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: season · perch · court · racket · game · bass · fall · cue

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bass — low music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — a match
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. court — of law
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. game — wild animals
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — for sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — of a king
  22. cue — for pool
  23. season — of the year
  24. cue — a signal

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