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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: board · net · perch · cell · bound · coach · trunk · present

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. present — the time now
  4. net — in sport
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. board — to get on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bound — obliged
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cell — a phone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. board — a committee
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. present — there
  24. net — after costs

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