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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 116 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.

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: bowl · game · band · plane · coach · pass · perch · tube

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. band — a ring
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — a tool
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. band — a music group

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