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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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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: coach · trunk · perch · fine · pitcher · bore · current · season

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. current — of water
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. perch — the fish
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — high quality
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. season — of the year
  19. bore — to drill
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fine — all right
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. season — in sport

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