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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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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: cue · march · perch · stand · object · stem · cap · wake

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. march — music
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stem — to come from
  5. object — a thing
  6. wake — a trail
  7. object — to protest
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. cue — for pool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cue — a signal
  17. object — an aim
  18. cue — a hint
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — to bear
  23. march — the month
  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