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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · fine · pitcher · march · saw · bark · last · suit

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. saw — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. suit — to fit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. suit — in cards
  10. march — the month
  11. last — to go on
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. march — music
  14. last — finally
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bark — to shout
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fine — high quality
  19. march — the month
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. perch — the fish
  23. last — final
  24. saw — the tool

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