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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: march · mouse · spring · ball · wind · perch · rule · bear

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spring — of water
  11. bear — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. ball — a dance
  14. march — the month
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rule — government
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spring — the season

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