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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. last — finally
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. plane — a tool
  7. perch — the fish
  8. land — ground
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. last — final
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. last — to go on
  23. fine — all right
  24. march — the month

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