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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: perch · pitcher · bank · coach · band · mug · field · stand

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bank — of a river
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. field — for sport
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. mug — a cup
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. perch — the fish
  16. field — a subject
  17. band — a music group
  18. mug — a face
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bank — for money
  22. stand — to bear
  23. field — farmland
  24. bank — for money

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