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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 120 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.

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: bat · march · coach · mug · land · perch · craft · present

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. craft — a skill
  3. perch — the fish
  4. present — the time now
  5. mug — a cup
  6. present — there
  7. march — music
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — a gift
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. march — the month
  14. land — a country
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — a face
  18. craft — boats
  19. mug — to rob
  20. land — to come down
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  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