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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: net · rule · dip · coach · ball · foot · perch · fine

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a dance
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. dip — to sink
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rule — a law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. net — in sport
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. net — after costs
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — all right
  19. ball — a great time
  20. perch — the fish
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — high quality
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. foot — the bottom

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