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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 120 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: perch · present · hide · coach · mark · racket · wind · degree

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wind — moving air
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — an amount
  9. present — there
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. perch — the fish
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. present — the time now
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wind — moving air
  18. degree — temperature
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. present — a gift
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. perch — for a bird

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