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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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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: track · kick · perch · bulb · foot · present · stem · coach

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — in football
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — a song
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stem — to come from
  11. present — there
  12. foot — a measure
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. track — a path
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. present — the time now
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. present — a gift

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