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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: sharp · perch · game · fork · kick · coach · tube · can

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. perch — the fish
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. sharp — clever
  10. tube — a container
  11. game — a match
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. game — wild animals
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tube — the underground
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. can — to be able to
  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