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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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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: spring · bass · rest · can · pound · straw · perch · stick

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spring — a coil
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rest — what's left
  7. can — to be able to
  8. rest — a break
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. perch — the fish
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. can — a tin
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. perch — for a bird

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