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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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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: stick · fine · fall · swing · coach · mug · pound · perch

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fall — the season
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fall — to drop
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fall — to drop
  8. mug — a face
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — the fish
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. fine — all right
  24. swing — music

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