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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: lean · content · bowl · leaves · racket · drill · coach · perch

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. content — the amount
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. drill — a practice
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. content — happy
  15. drill — army training
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. drill — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bowl — a football final

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