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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: drill · net · root · perch · game · object · coach · craft

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. craft — boats
  4. object — to protest
  5. drill — a practice
  6. craft — a skill
  7. net — in sport
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. object — an aim
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. root — of a plant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — the cause
  16. drill — army training
  17. game — a match
  18. net — for catching
  19. object — a thing
  20. root — of a word
  21. drill — the tool
  22. game — wild animals
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. net — after costs

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