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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cue — a hint
  17. board — to get on
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. board — a committee
  24. lash — an eyelash

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