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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
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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: perch · cap · roll · current · present · march · plane · stock

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. march — the month
  5. present — the time now
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. roll — a list
  10. stock — shares
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. cap — of ice
  15. current — happening now
  16. stock — goods
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. current — electric
  19. march — the month
  20. present — there
  21. cap — a hat
  22. roll — a cake
  23. march — music
  24. current — of water

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