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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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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: pass · roll · perch · march · bank · bass · rest · ground

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bass — low music
  3. bank — for money
  4. march — music
  5. perch — the fish
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bank — for money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. rest — what's left
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rest — a break
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. march — the month
  24. ground — a position

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