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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pop · nail · stick · perch · cue · bass · straw · land

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. land — a country
  3. bass — the fish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pop — music
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bass — low music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — soda
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cue — a hint
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. perch — the fish
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cue — for pool

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