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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · leaves · march · object · mark · craft · bat · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. object — a thing
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. perch — the fish
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. object — to protest
  12. march — the month
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bat — the animal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — to handle
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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