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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 · bowl · fan · coach · net · degree · leaves · wave

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. net — for catching
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. degree — from a university
  18. net — after costs
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. degree — temperature
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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