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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: band · cap · pass · net · land · date · mark · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mark — a grade
  3. cap — a hat
  4. band — a music group
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. band — a ring
  10. net — for catching
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — in sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — a country
  18. pass — a permit
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. land — to come down
  22. net — after costs
  23. land — ground
  24. band — a rubber band

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