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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mark · file · rash · bark · perch · chair · coach · ball

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rash — hasty
  8. perch — the fish
  9. file — a document
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a tool
  13. rash — a series
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ball — a great time
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ball — a dance
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. chair — a professorship

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