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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 120 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: ground · racket · perch · bear · spell · foot · content · rash

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. content — happy
  10. foot — a measure
  11. perch — the fish
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rash — hasty
  16. ground — a position
  17. bear — the animal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. rash — a series
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. content — the amount
  24. spell — letters

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