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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: rush · perch · cabinet · march · dip · jam · ground · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. march — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. fine — high quality
  6. perch — the fish
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. ground — a position
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. dip — to sink
  14. ground — crushed
  15. march — the month
  16. ground — the earth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rush — hurry
  19. march — the month
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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