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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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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: row · staff · present · land · bay · racket · perch · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. row — a line
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. staff — a stick
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. row — to paddle
  10. land — ground
  11. cap — a hat
  12. present — a gift
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. land — a country
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. present — the time now
  17. staff — employees
  18. land — to come down
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. cap — a lid
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. present — there
  24. perch — 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