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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 120 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: coach · mouse · board · bat · perch · pitcher · scale · mark

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. board — to get on
  9. mark — a grade
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — a committee
  24. perch — for a bird

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