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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: pop · leaves · date · band · perch · drill · rush · pass

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. drill — the tool
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pop — soda
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. band — a ring
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pop — music
  15. drill — a practice
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a music group
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. drill — army training
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pass — a permit
  24. band — a rubber band

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