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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.

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: perch · coach · arm · cabinet · pitcher · mug · race · hide

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — humankind
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mug — a face
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mug — a cup
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — to rob
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitcher — a jug

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