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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: net · object · prune · coach · perch · game

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. net — in sport
  3. object — to protest
  4. net — after costs
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. game — a match
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. net — for catching
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. perch — the fish
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. prune — to trim
  16. object — a thing
  17. game — wild animals
  18. object — an aim

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