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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
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: coach · face · drill · net · perch · toast · game · object

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. object — a thing
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. object — an aim
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. net — in sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — for catching
  10. object — to protest
  11. face — to point toward
  12. perch — the fish
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. game — a match
  15. drill — the tool
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — after costs
  21. toast — bread
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to confront
  24. coach — a trainer

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