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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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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: roll · racket · stand · perch · cell · plane · object · present

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. object — an aim
  4. cell — in biology
  5. perch — the fish
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. roll — a list
  9. present — a gift
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — a thing
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cell — a phone
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stand — to bear
  17. roll — a cake
  18. plane — a tool
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. perch — for a bird

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