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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: present · deal · march · field · perch · coach · bear · leaves

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. present — there
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. field — farmland
  4. march — the month
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. present — a gift
  10. field — for sport
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. march — music
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. present — the time now
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. deal — to handle
  23. field — a subject
  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