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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: fan · jam · bulb · bowl · coach · march · perch · wake

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — a trail
  23. march — the month
  24. jam — a tight spot

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