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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: ground · can · perch · nail · bay · coach · wind · craft

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ground — the earth
  7. craft — a skill
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. ground — a position
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. craft — boats
  13. can — a tin
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wind — moving air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — a tin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. ground — crushed
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. nail — on a finger

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