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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: pop · band · calf · perch · sharp · scale · present · march

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a music group
  5. scale — in music
  6. perch — the fish
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — music
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. sharp — clever
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — soda

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