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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
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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: race · bark · pop · perch · drill · coach · arm · spring

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. race — the arms race
  3. spring — of water
  4. pop — music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. perch — the fish
  7. drill — army training
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. race — a contest
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. spring — the season
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bark — to shout
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. race — humankind

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