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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: perch · stand · squash · rush · roll · cabinet · march · mark

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. stand — to bear
  6. roll — a list
  7. rush — hurry
  8. march — the month
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. roll — a cake

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