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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.

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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: fine · jam · fall · present · bass · perch · rule · row

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. bass — the fish
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. row — to paddle
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. row — a line
  11. fall — the season
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. fine — all right
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — there
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rule — government
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bass — low music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rule — a law

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