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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. deal — to handle
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bound — tied together
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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