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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 116 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pop — soda
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hand — help
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — the fish
  9. march — music
  10. pop — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — a gift
  13. stand — to bear
  14. present — the time now
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. present — there
  18. pop — to visit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. swing — in golf
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hand — in cards
  24. can — a tin

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