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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: firm · can · roll · march · chip · perch · field · bass

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. roll — a list
  3. march — the month
  4. chip — for betting
  5. firm — a company
  6. field — farmland
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. can — a tin
  9. field — a subject
  10. can — to be able to
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. firm — decided
  15. field — for sport
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — low music
  19. chip — to eat
  20. can — a tin
  21. march — the month
  22. roll — a cake
  23. perch — the fish
  24. firm — steady

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