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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: leaves · dip · bowl · pop · racket · present · cell · perch

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. dip — to sink
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cell — in biology
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. present — the time now
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pop — music
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pop — soda
  19. present — there
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — a gift
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pop — to visit
  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