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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: capital · bear · club · march · perch · rock · squash · bowl

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. rock — a stone
  5. capital — money
  6. club — for golf
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. capital — a city
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. club — for dancing
  15. squash — to crush
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. march — the month
  19. bear — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. club — a group

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