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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: lash · squash · perch · track · cell · game · racket · saw

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. saw — the tool
  4. track — a song
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cell — a phone
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. squash — to crush
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. squash — the sport
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. cell — in biology
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. game — wild animals
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — a match
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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