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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.

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: game · date · drill · fork · coach · bulb · clip · perch

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — a practice
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — in a road
  6. game — wild animals
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. game — a match
  10. perch — the fish
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. clip — a video
  13. bulb — for light
  14. date — the fruit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. clip — for paper
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. date — on the calendar

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