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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: cabinet · perch · suit · bass · kid · march · land · field

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. field — for sport
  4. perch — the fish
  5. land — ground
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. suit — clothes
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. march — the month
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — farmland
  15. march — music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. kid — to tease
  21. field — a subject
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bass — low music
  24. suit — to fit

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