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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: last · date · band · perch · bass · bear · spring · jam

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. spring — the season
  4. last — finally
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. spring — a coil
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — the fish
  11. band — a ring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bass — low music
  15. spring — of water
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. last — to go on
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bear — the animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. last — final
  24. bass — the instrument

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