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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: foot · coach · mate · march · clip · root · tube · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — a measure
  3. clip — to cut
  4. march — music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. march — the month
  7. clip — a video
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. clip — for paper
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. tube — a container
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. perch — the fish
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. march — the month
  23. root — of a word
  24. mate — a friend

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