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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: row · coach · perch · court · temple · field · bark · game

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. perch — the fish
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. court — of a king
  9. field — farmland
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — for sport
  12. game — a match
  13. field — a subject
  14. row — to paddle
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. court — of law
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. field — for sport
  21. bark — to shout
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. temple — a place of worship

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