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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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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: leaves · perch · arm · chair · squash · coach · stick · content

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. content — the amount
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. squash — to crush
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chair — a leader
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. content — happy
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. squash — the sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. content — videos and posts

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