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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: leaves · mark · rock · perch · pop · fan · swing · season

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pop — music
  3. mark — a trace
  4. swing — in golf
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mark — a grade
  8. swing — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pop — to visit
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — to play on
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. season — in sport
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — of the year
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pop — soda

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