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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 120 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: perch · mark · lean · pitcher · club · shower · coach · bay

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. shower — rain
  10. club — a group
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a grade
  14. club — for golf
  15. perch — the fish
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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