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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 120 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: perch · kick · tear · march · deal · file · content · suit

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. tear — from crying
  4. content — the amount
  5. file — a document
  6. march — the month
  7. deal — to handle
  8. march — music
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. suit — to fit
  11. file — a line of people
  12. content — happy
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tear — from crying
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. file — a tool
  18. tear — to rip
  19. perch — the fish
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — in football

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