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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · perch · march · bound · mark · mine · net · pit

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — in sport
  15. march — music
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — certain
  18. march — the month
  19. net — after costs
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. net — for catching
  24. perch — the fish

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