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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: club · chair · bulb · kick · perch · stem · coach · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chair — a leader
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stem — to come from
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kick — in football
  12. club — a group
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. club — for golf
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bore — to tire

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