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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: racket · rock · sharp · wake · perch · foot · swing · firm

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. swing — to play on
  4. firm — a company
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. perch — the fish
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. firm — decided
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. rock — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. sharp — clever
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wake — a trail
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. firm — steady
  24. wake — before a funeral

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