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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.

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: stem · bass · saw · bank · perch · pass · track · march

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — a song
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bass — low music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. track — a path
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bank — for money
  11. track — to keep track
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. perch — the fish
  14. stem — to come from
  15. bank — for money
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. march — the month
  23. bank — of a river
  24. saw — the tool

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