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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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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: bank · mark · suit · wound · rest · field · perch · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. suit — in cards
  6. perch — the fish
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. rest — a break
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a trace
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rest — what's left
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. suit — to fit
  20. field — a subject
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rest — what's left
  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