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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: rash · rush · season · perch · mouse · fall · racket · pop

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pop — music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. season — in sport
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. fall — the season
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — a series
  15. season — of the year
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rush — hurry
  22. perch — the fish
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mouse — for a computer

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