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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 120 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: mine · perch · object · bass · pound · march · rush · coach

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. march — music
  6. object — a thing
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rush — hurry
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. object — an aim
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — to protest
  23. bass — low music
  24. march — the month

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