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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 · fan · perch · bore · staff · content · swing · bass

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bass — low music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. staff — employees
  7. bass — the fish
  8. swing — to play on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. content — the amount
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. swing — music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. perch — the fish
  18. content — happy
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. staff — employees
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — in golf

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