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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
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: perch · bulb · bear · prune · swing · coach · field · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. swing — music
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to tire
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bear — the animal
  8. field — for sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bear — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bore — gave birth

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