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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: row · firm · bore · racket · fan · perch · kid · coach

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. kid — child
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kid — to tease
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. firm — a company
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. firm — steady
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. row — to paddle
  17. firm — decided
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — a line
  24. racket — for tennis

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