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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: racket · can · bass · perch · trunk · ground · stick · cue

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ground — crushed
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cue — for pool
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bass — low music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cue — a signal
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. perch — the fish
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ground — a position
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. can — to be able to
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bass — the fish

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