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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
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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: mine · row · ball · bark · bank · perch · pound · coach

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — a line
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bark — to shout
  10. perch — the fish
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — for money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pound — to hit hard

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