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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: bank · perch · rush · capital · pop · fork · march · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pop — soda
  6. fork — in a road
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. perch — the fish
  16. march — music
  17. rush — hurry
  18. capital — money
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — a city
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. march — the month
  23. pop — to visit
  24. fork — a garden tool

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