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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: perch · degree · can · tube · fork · bass · coach · mark

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. can — a tin
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. degree — an amount
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — the fish
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. degree — temperature
  21. tube — a container
  22. degree — from a university
  23. tube — the underground
  24. can — a tin

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