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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: perch · safe · pitcher · cue · coach · mug · land · march

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. land — a country
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. march — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. land — ground
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — a face
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. march — the month
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cue — a signal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. march — the month

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