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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: stick · coach · staff · fall · mine · perch · trunk · pit

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. pit — a hole
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — the fish
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. staff — a stick
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. staff — employees
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fall — the season
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. staff — employees
  24. fall — to drop

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