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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
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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: jam · perch · file · hide · ball · wake · mug · march

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wake — a trail
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. file — a tool
  14. mug — a face
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. file — a document
  17. mug — to rob
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mug — a cup
  20. march — music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. perch — the fish
  24. march — the month

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