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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 120 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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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: row · pass · game · perch · bank · chair · bass · pound

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. game — a match
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. perch — the fish
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. pound — a weight
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bank — for money
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bank — of a river
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bass — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. chair — a leader
  22. row — a line
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — low 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