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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.

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: wave · mark · march · chair · game · sharp · perch · object

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. object — an aim
  6. sharp — clever
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. game — wild animals
  9. object — a thing
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. object — to protest
  19. mark — a trace
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a match
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. sharp — exactly

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