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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: clip · spring · swing · firm · bulb · perch · mouse · coach

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. swing — in golf
  3. swing — music
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spring — a coil
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — to play on
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. firm — a company
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. firm — steady
  17. spring — the season
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — of water
  22. firm — decided
  23. clip — a video
  24. mouse — the animal

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