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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 · mate · march · board · pop · pass · calf · wake

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pop — soda
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pop — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. wake — a trail
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. board — a committee
  12. march — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pass — a permit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pop — to visit
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — to breed

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