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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: roll · perch · bulb · can · coach · branch · march · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. can — a tin
  3. march — music
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. roll — a list
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. can — to be able to
  12. perch — the fish
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. march — the month
  16. roll — a cake
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — a division
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. shower — to wash

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