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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · pit · race · perch · bay · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. march — the month
  4. pit — in a race
  5. race — humankind
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. perch — the fish
  10. present — the time now
  11. pit — a hole
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. march — music
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race

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