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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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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: bowl · perch · safe · pass · bark · tube · rest · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tube — the underground
  5. march — the month
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — a permit
  12. tube — a container
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. rest — a break
  24. safe — a strongbox

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