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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: club · row · court · last · nail · racket · bat · perch

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. club — a group
  6. court — for sport
  7. club — for golf
  8. row — a line
  9. last — final
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — to go on
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. last — finally
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bat — the animal
  21. court — of law
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. court — of a king
  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