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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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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: stand · perch · cell · court · fall · racket · lean · rash

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lean — to bend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — thin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. court — of a king
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rash — a series
  10. cell — in biology
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rash — hasty
  13. cell — a phone
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — for sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fall — to drop
  22. court — of law
  23. fall — the season
  24. lean — to rest against

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