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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: chip · field · season · hide · coach · mouse · swing · perch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. perch — the fish
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. field — farmland
  5. season — in sport
  6. swing — in golf
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. swing — to play on
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chip — to eat
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. field — a subject
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. field — for sport
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — music

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