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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: perch · bore · coach · pound · safe · present · game · saw

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bore — to tire
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. present — the time now
  10. game — a match
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bore — to drill
  15. present — there
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. present — a gift
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. saw — the tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. pound — a weight

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