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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: bound · pop · perch · wave · jam · bowl · coach · stem

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — to visit
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — certain
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stem — to come from
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. pop — music
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — soda
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bound — obliged

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