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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: perch · fall · deal · march · mine · tube · row · can

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fall — to drop
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. can — to be able to
  16. tube — the underground
  17. march — the month
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. tube — a container
  20. can — a tin
  21. fall — the season
  22. row — a line
  23. mine — for digging
  24. march — music

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