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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: mark · perch · rash · bore · rush · land · spell · bass

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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. rash — hasty
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mark — a trace
  6. spell — magic
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bass — low music
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rash — a series
  15. land — to come down
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bore — to drill
  20. perch — the fish
  21. spell — letters
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — a short time
  24. perch — for a bird

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