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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: march · file · kick · object · rock · perch · row · bulb

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. march — music
  5. kick — in football
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bulb — for light
  8. object — a thing
  9. perch — the fish
  10. file — a tool
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. row — a line
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. march — the month
  20. file — a document
  21. object — an aim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. row — to paddle
  24. file — a line of people

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