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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: coach · file · bank · ground · leaves · perch · staff · sharp

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ground — a position
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bank — for money
  9. file — a document
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — crushed
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. sharp — clever
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. bank — of a river
  21. staff — a stick
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. file — a tool

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