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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.

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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 · rock · mate · stock · kick · wax · perch · fall

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — music
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. kick — in football
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stock — goods
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — the fish
  19. stock — shares
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wax — in the ear

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