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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: hand · pass · stick · perch · land · bulb

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. land — ground
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — a country
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. land — to come down
  17. pass — a permit
  18. stick — to attach or keep to

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