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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
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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: bass · rush · land · cue · perch · leaves · date · vault

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bass — low music
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cue — a hint
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cue — a signal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. perch — the fish
  18. date — the fruit
  19. land — ground
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. leaves — of a tree

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