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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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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 · net · vault · bay · cap · perch · deal · stock

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  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. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. perch — the fish
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stock — shares
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. stock — goods
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. net — after costs
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cap — a lid
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cap — of ice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. vault — a safe
  23. cap — a hat
  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