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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: last · squash · rock · suit · perch · coach · root · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. perch — the fish
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. suit — in cards
  9. march — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. root — the cause
  13. last — finally
  14. root — of a word
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. root — of a plant
  17. last — final
  18. march — the month
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. last — to go on
  21. rock — a stone
  22. squash — to crush
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. suit — clothes

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