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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 116 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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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 · bear · mark · perch · degree · nail · racket · wind

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wind — moving air
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wind — moving air
  12. mark — a trace
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. degree — temperature
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. degree — an amount
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. perch — the fish

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