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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · bank · object · court · bass · bat · mate · plane

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bass — low music
  4. object — an aim
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mate — a friend
  11. court — for sport
  12. mate — a partner
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — of a river
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bank — for money
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. court — of law
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bass — the fish
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. court — of a king
  24. object — a thing

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