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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.

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: wake · date · stand · perch · ball · jam · chest · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — the month
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a dance
  6. march — the month
  7. stand — to bear
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wake — a trail
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. date — on the calendar

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