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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bay · coach · tear · date · stock · game · wound · perch

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tear — to rip
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. perch — the fish
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tear — from crying
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. date — the fruit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. game — a match
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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