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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. march — the month
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — to protest
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — army training
  10. object — a thing
  11. bear — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. can — to be able to
  15. band — a music group
  16. march — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. drill — a practice
  20. march — the month
  21. band — a ring
  22. pass — a permit
  23. object — an aim
  24. perch — the fish

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