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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. present — there
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. present — a gift
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. file — a line of people
  12. march — the month
  13. file — a tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — music
  16. file — a document
  17. track — to keep track
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. track — a song
  21. present — the time now
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a path

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