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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: deal · coach · perch · mate · land · trunk · bore · ground

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bore — to drill
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. land — a country
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — ground
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. land — to come down
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bore — to tire
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. perch — the fish

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