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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: fall · bowl · perch · fork · march · stand · season · bark

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fall — the season
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fork — in a road
  15. season — in sport
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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