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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · can · rest · coach · field · saw · mug · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. rest — what's left
  4. saw — the tool
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. mug — a face
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. field — a subject
  10. rest — a break
  11. can — to be able to
  12. field — for sport
  13. mug — to rob
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. saw — the tool
  16. field — farmland
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rest — what's left
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. can — a tin
  23. mug — a cup
  24. can — a tin

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