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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: pass · toast · perch · march · stand · prune · can · field

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — to be able to
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — the month
  7. perch — the fish
  8. stand — to bear
  9. field — farmland
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. field — for sport
  14. march — the month
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. toast — bread
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — a tin
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. field — a subject
  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