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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: fan · rash · perch · bass · mark · nail · date · coach

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rash — a series
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. perch — the fish
  15. bass — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bass — low music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — a grade
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. date — on the calendar

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