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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pop · perch · coach · tube · straw · fork · foot · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. fork — in a road
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pop — music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. season — in sport
  13. tube — a container
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pop — soda
  16. perch — the fish
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pop — to visit
  22. foot — a measure
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. straw — a straw man

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