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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: cold · perch · ruler · roll · deal · mug · coach · season

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mug — to rob
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — of the year
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mug — a face
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. roll — a cake
  21. season — in sport
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. roll — a list
  24. deal — to handle

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