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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: pitcher · pass · bass · land · prune · perch · rest · shower

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. land — ground
  14. rest — a break
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. land — a country
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. land — to come down
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. rest — what's left

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