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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: bark · chair · coach · perch · object · march · ruler · key

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. object — to protest
  4. bark — to shout
  5. object — a thing
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — the most important part
  8. chair — a leader
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. march — the month
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. perch — the fish

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