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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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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: pop · perch · fork · straw · march · rest · cap · wave

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. march — the month
  3. pop — to visit
  4. march — the month
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cap — a hat
  22. march — music
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — a straw man

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