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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 · stand · bore · hide · bass · capital · wind · racket

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. perch — the fish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bass — the fish
  12. capital — a city
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — to drill
  16. capital — money
  17. bass — low music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. stand — to bear
  24. hide — to keep secret

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