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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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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: coach · rock · firm · perch · cell · land · court · deal

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. court — for sport
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — to handle
  9. cell — in biology
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — steady
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — of law
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. land — to come down
  17. perch — the fish
  18. land — ground
  19. firm — decided
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. firm — a company
  23. court — of a king
  24. land — a country

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