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

Word bank: hide · march · wake · bowl · suit · perch · deal · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. suit — to fit
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. march — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. perch — the fish
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. deal — to handle
  22. suit — in cards
  23. march — the month
  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