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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. kid — child
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. board — a committee
  10. perch — the fish
  11. board — to get on
  12. track — a path
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. kid — to tease
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. staff — employees
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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