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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cue · bowl · coach · toast · calf · stock · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cue — a hint
  8. perch — the fish
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cue — for pool
  18. stock — goods
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. toast — bread

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