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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: snap · bound · coach · degree · root · file · dip · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — certain
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. root — the cause
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. degree — an amount
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bound — tied together
  11. perch — the fish
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bound — obliged
  14. file — a tool
  15. root — of a word
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. root — of a plant
  20. snap — to click
  21. file — a document
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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