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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: perch · march · pop · field · bowl · craft · firm · mouse

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pop — to visit
  3. field — farmland
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — a company
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. march — the month
  12. craft — boats
  13. field — a subject
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pop — music
  16. firm — decided
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. field — for sport
  19. firm — steady
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — music

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