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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 120 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: fine · arm · kick · track · march · row · swing · perch

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kick — in football
  3. swing — to play on
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. march — music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. fine — high quality
  9. perch — the fish
  10. march — the month
  11. track — to keep track
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fine — all right
  16. swing — in golf
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. swing — music
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. row — a quarrel

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