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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: rush · stem · scale · wind · can · bass · foot · perch

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bass — the fish
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rush — hurry
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. perch — the fish
  20. stem — to come from
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — in music
  24. perch — for a bird

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