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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 120 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 · spell · hide · cue · fine · perch · bowl · deal

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. spell — magic
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fine — all right
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fine — high quality
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. perch — the fish
  15. cue — a signal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. cue — for pool
  18. march — music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spell — letters
  24. hide — to keep secret

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