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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: spell · content · spring · perch · cue · coach · fork · rush

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spring — the season
  19. spell — magic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — for pool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. content — happy

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