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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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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: cap · perch · firm · coach · straw · root · stick · patient

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — steady
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. perch — the fish
  5. firm — a company
  6. root — of a word
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. firm — decided
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. cap — a lid
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — the cause
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cap — a hat
  24. root — of a plant

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