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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: game · perch · present · coach · temple · cabinet · bound · last

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. perch — the fish
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bound — obliged
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. last — finally
  12. game — wild animals
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. game — a match
  15. last — final
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. last — to go on
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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