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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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468
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: lean · perch · dip · stick · swing · game · roll · rock

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — the fish
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rock — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. roll — a cake
  15. swing — in golf
  16. roll — a list
  17. game — wild animals
  18. dip — to sink
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lean — thin
  22. game — a match
  23. swing — music
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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