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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
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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: perch · pass · deal · rash · bass · coach · content · drill

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bass — low music
  5. pass — a permit
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. perch — the fish
  11. content — happy
  12. drill — army training
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rash — a series
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bass — the fish
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. drill — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. rash — hasty
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. content — the amount
  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