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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: bass · spring · cabinet · march · perch · wind · arm · bowl

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. march — the month
  5. bass — the fish
  6. march — the month
  7. spring — of water
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bass — low music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. perch — the fish
  21. march — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — the season

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