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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: firm · swing · net · temple · drill · rush · bass · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bass — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. drill — army training
  6. swing — in golf
  7. firm — a company
  8. swing — music
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. drill — a practice
  13. firm — decided
  14. drill — the tool
  15. firm — steady
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — to play on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bass — low music
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. perch — the fish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rush — a thrill

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