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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — the month
  4. can — a tin
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the fish
  11. clip — a video
  12. clip — for paper
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. bank — for money
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. can — to be able to
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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