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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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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: pop · drill · board · race · date · deal · present · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. race — humankind
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. drill — army training
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — there
  7. board — to get on
  8. perch — the fish
  9. present — a gift
  10. deal — to handle
  11. date — the fruit
  12. race — the arms race
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — to visit
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. race — a contest
  17. pop — music
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. present — the time now
  22. board — a committee
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. drill — the tool

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