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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 · temple · ball · degree · coach · last · rash · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. degree — an amount
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rash — hasty
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. last — finally
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. last — final
  15. degree — from a university
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — a series
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. season — of the year
  20. degree — temperature
  21. last — to go on
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rash — on the skin

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