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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: tear · perch · root · ball · hand · coach · mate · staff

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. root — of a word
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tear — to rip
  9. hand — in cards
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — employees
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ball — a dance
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mate — to breed
  21. root — the cause
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hand — help
  24. ball — a round shape

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