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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: craft · fan · perch · fall · object · land · bass · band

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. band — a music group
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — to protest
  6. craft — boats
  7. object — a thing
  8. fall — the season
  9. perch — the fish
  10. land — a country
  11. land — to come down
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. object — an aim
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. band — a ring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — low music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bass — the fish

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