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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.

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: ball · perch · lean · wake · pass · date · saw · club

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ball — a dance
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ball — a great time
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — the fish
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. club — for golf
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lean — to bend
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pass — a permit

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