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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: field · board · stand · coach · pitcher · perch · shower · bay

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — to bear
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. shower — rain
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. shower — to wash
  15. field — farmland
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. field — a subject
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. field — for sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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