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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: perch · date · jam · bay · press · march · root · wave

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. press — to push
  3. march — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. march — the month
  6. root — the cause
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. press — newspapers
  9. root — of a plant
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. perch — the fish
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. root — of a word
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. march — the month
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. press — a publisher

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