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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: march · ball · file · pop · band · perch · row · stand

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. row — to paddle
  3. band — a ring
  4. file — a document
  5. ball — a dance
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pop — music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. pop — soda
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stand — to bear
  15. row — a line
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pop — to visit
  24. band — a music group

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