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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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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: squash · bank · bark · coach · deal · patient · last · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. last — to go on
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. last — finally
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. last — final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bank — for money
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — to shout
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bank — of a river
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — the sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  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