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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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: squash · coach · spell · racket · chest · perch · current · foot

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. chest — of your body
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. perch — the fish
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. current — happening now
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chest — of your body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. spell — magic
  22. chest — a box
  23. current — electric
  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