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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.

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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: land · branch · coach · perch · field · rock · sharp · drill

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — a stone
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. drill — a practice
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. field — for sport
  15. perch — the fish
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. sharp — clever
  18. land — a country
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rock — music
  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