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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: cabinet · hand · coach · bark · bowl · current · perch · file

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hand — help
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. current — electric
  13. file — a tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. file — a line of people
  16. current — of water
  17. perch — the fish
  18. file — a document
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bowl — a football final

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