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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: perch · pit · kick · rule · object · bass · coach · season

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. object — an aim
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pit — in a race
  14. object — to protest
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. object — a thing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bass — low music
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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