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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: season · firm · perch · racket · coach · wind · board · rule

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — government
  6. firm — decided
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — the fish
  11. firm — steady
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — to get on
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — of the year
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. firm — a company
  24. rule — a law

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