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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: pop · coach · perch · board · present · mug · branch · straw

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mug — a face
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mug — a cup
  5. present — the time now
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. present — a gift
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. branch — a division
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — to rob
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. branch — of a bank

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