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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. perch — the fish
  7. can — to be able to
  8. file — a line of people
  9. march — the month
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. stand — to bear
  14. can — a tin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. march — the month
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. can — a tin
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — music
  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