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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 116 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: board · mug · perch · game · row · march · season · bank

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. march — music
  3. game — a match
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. row — a line
  8. bank — of a river
  9. march — the month
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — of the year
  13. mug — to rob
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. perch — the fish
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bank — for money
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. march — the month
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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