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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: capital · perch · ruler · leaves · ground · chest · coach · degree

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. perch — the fish
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ground — a position
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. degree — temperature
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chest — of your body
  20. capital — a city
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. capital — money
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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