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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: pop · perch · rock · shower · present · last · bear · court

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. court — of a king
  3. shower — rain
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. last — to go on
  7. present — a gift
  8. pop — music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. court — of law
  14. present — the time now
  15. last — final
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. last — finally
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. court — for sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. perch — for a bird

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