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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: spell · perch · plane · mouse · march · bass · club · net

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. net — in sport
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. club — for dancing
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — for catching
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — magic
  13. perch — the fish
  14. spell — letters
  15. bass — the fish
  16. club — a group
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — for golf
  20. bass — low music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. plane — in geometry

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