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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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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: scale · arm · craft · jam · rush · stand · perch · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. march — the month
  2. craft — a skill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. scale — in music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. march — the month
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. perch — the fish
  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