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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · march · staff · bear · season · game · kick · perch

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. game — wild animals
  4. staff — employees
  5. kick — in football
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. march — the month
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. drill — a practice
  12. staff — employees
  13. drill — army training
  14. season — of the year
  15. staff — a stick
  16. march — music
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. season — in sport
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. drill — the tool
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. march — the month
  24. game — a match

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