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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: file · snap · fine · cap · board · bass · perch · march

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. file — a line of people
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to click
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — the fish
  7. cap — of ice
  8. file — a tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. bass — the fish
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. file — a document
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fine — high quality
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bass — low music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. board — to get on

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