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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: scale · coach · stem · kick · bore · land · perch · arm

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. scale — size or range
  3. land — ground
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bore — to drill
  6. perch — the fish
  7. scale — in music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stem — to come from
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — in football
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. kick — a thrill

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