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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.

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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. march — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the fish
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. march — the month
  18. bass — low music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. can — a tin
  21. perch — the fish
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. can — a tin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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