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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: stick · content · leaves · firm · perch · coach · spring · ground

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. content — happy
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. ground — the earth
  7. firm — decided
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — the fish
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. content — the amount
  12. ground — crushed
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. spring — of water
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — the season
  20. firm — steady
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spring — a coil
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. firm — a company

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