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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · wound · ball · perch · key · march · coach · ground

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ground — crushed
  5. march — the month
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — a position
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. ground — the earth
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wound — an injury
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. key — for a lock
  17. wound — an injury
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ball — a great time
  21. key — in music
  22. march — music
  23. perch — the fish
  24. coach — a trainer

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