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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: last · ball · march · fine · pit · bay · ruler · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — the fish
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. pit — in a race
  7. last — to go on
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. last — finally
  18. ball — a great time
  19. fine — all right
  20. pit — a hole
  21. last — final
  22. fine — high quality
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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