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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: court · tear · coach · tube · temple · field · perch · plane

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — the fish
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — a tool
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tube — a container
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. tear — from crying
  22. court — of a king
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. field — a subject

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