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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 120 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: bulb · ground · coach · sharp · perch · bear · staff · tube

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — a container
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — the earth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. ground — crushed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — clever
  17. staff — a stick
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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