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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: kid · pass · snap · wake · perch · racket · season · board

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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. board — a committee
  4. kid — to tease
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. kid — child
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. perch — the fish
  11. pass — a permit
  12. season — of the year
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. season — in sport
  15. wake — a trail
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. snap — to click
  23. board — to get on
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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