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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: pass · bass · cap · face · patient · plane · court · perch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — to confront
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. court — for sport
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — part of the head
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bass — low music
  23. perch — for a bird
  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