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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: band · perch · bound · fan · pass · rash · drill · bass

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rash — a series
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bound — certain
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bass — low music
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. band — a music group
  24. bass — the fish

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