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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: bay · roll · deal · chair · perch · coach · mine · rash

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. deal — to handle
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. roll — a list
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rash — a series
  21. perch — the fish
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rash — hasty
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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