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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: pit · bank · leaves · march · perch · game · stem · hide

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pit — a hole
  6. game — a match
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — for money
  16. stem — to come from
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. game — wild animals

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