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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 116 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: last · club · perch · rash · present · object · pass · pit

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. rash — hasty
  3. present — a gift
  4. last — to go on
  5. object — a thing
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. perch — the fish
  10. pass — a permit
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — a group
  13. object — an aim
  14. present — the time now
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rash — a series
  18. pit — a hole
  19. club — for golf
  20. present — there
  21. object — to protest
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. pass — to spend time

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