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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.

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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: perch · root · pop · coach · bore · firm · pit · hide

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. firm — decided
  3. bore — to tire
  4. firm — a company
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pit — in a race
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. firm — steady
  14. pop — soda
  15. root — the cause
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. perch — the fish
  18. root — of a word
  19. bore — to drill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pop — music

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