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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 · cue · rock · perch · bay · file · cap · squash

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. cap — of ice
  4. march — music
  5. cue — a hint
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. file — a line of people
  13. march — the month
  14. file — a document
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. march — the month
  18. cap — a hat
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. squash — the sport
  23. rock — music
  24. file — a 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