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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: tube · perch · mug · coach · bulb · stick · rock · hand

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tube — a container
  5. hand — help
  6. bulb — for light
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. perch — the fish
  13. mug — a face
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — a stone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. hand — in cards
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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