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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: march · fine · roll · rest · content · tear · current · perch

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. content — the amount
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. current — happening now
  6. roll — a list
  7. rest — a break
  8. fine — high quality
  9. march — the month
  10. content — happy
  11. tear — from crying
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tear — from crying
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. current — electric
  18. march — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. tear — to rip
  21. current — of water
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. roll — a cake

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