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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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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: wind · coach · bowl · content · perch · toast · bark · wake

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wake — a trail
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. content — the amount
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. content — happy
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wind — moving air
  20. toast — bread
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. toast — the most admired
  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