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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: coach · perch · spell · mark · bowl · key · staff · hand

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mark — a grade
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. spell — magic
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — letters
  11. key — for a lock
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. hand — help
  15. staff — a stick
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. hand — in cards

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