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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.

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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: bay · kid · cabinet · perch · pitcher · pop · temple · coach

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kid — child
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pop — music
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pop — soda
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pop — to visit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kid — to tease
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. coach — a trainer

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