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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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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: rock · dip · perch · racket · pass · club · bound · field

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bound — obliged
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bound — tied together
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rock — music
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rock — a stone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — certain
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. field — farmland
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. field — a subject
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. field — for sport

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