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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 · face · game · plane · perch · board · bulb · pitcher

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a committee
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. plane — a tool
  20. face — part of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. board — to get on

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