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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: perch · spell · racket · kid · rock · game · bowl · bore

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kid — child
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — to tire
  14. game — a match
  15. rock — a stone
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. game — wild animals
  20. kid — to tease
  21. perch — the fish
  22. spell — letters
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. racket — for tennis

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