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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 116 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
468
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: track · deal · coach · game · ground · race · lean · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. deal — to handle
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ground — crushed
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ground — a position
  19. lean — to bend
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ground — the earth
  22. game — a match
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — a big deal

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