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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
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: racket · date · land · perch · pop · pass · wave · band

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pop — soda
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. band — a music group
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pop — music
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. pop — to visit
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. land — to come down
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pass — a permit
  20. land — ground
  21. band — a ring
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — a country

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