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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: row · coach · mouse · leaves · ball · fork · foot · drill

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ball — a dance
  5. row — to paddle
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. drill — a practice
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. row — a line
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. leaves — of a tree

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