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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to tire
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. key — for a lock
  8. perch — the fish
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. key — the most important part
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. key — in music
  15. bore — to drill
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — after costs
  18. branch — a division
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. perch — for a bird

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