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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: shower · file · content · net · perch · row · coach · rock

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a document
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. file — a tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. shower — to wash
  20. file — a line of people
  21. shower — rain
  22. content — happy
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rock — a stone

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