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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 · row · bulb · band · rule · nail · perch · toast

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. bulb — for light
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. toast — bread
  8. perch — the fish
  9. band — a music group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a ring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rule — government
  15. row — a line
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rule — a law
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. band — a rubber band

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