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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: perch · toast · coach · fine · tear · track · pitcher · stick

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. toast — bread
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. track — a path
  7. tear — to rip
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. tear — from crying
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — to keep track
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tear — from crying
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. track — a song
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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