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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: bear · ruler · perch · spring · hand · court · file · coach

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. perch — the fish
  3. court — of law
  4. file — a tool
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. file — a document
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spring — the season
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. court — of a king
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. court — for sport
  24. hand — in cards

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