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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: pass · tube · coach · kick · perch · march · staff · craft

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. tube — a container
  8. staff — a stick
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pass — a permit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — in football
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. tube — the underground
  16. march — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — the month
  23. perch — the fish
  24. perch — for a bird

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