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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: bass · bulb · fine · current · perch · staff · date · fall

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. fall — to drop
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. date — the fruit
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bass — the fish
  17. staff — employees
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — happening now
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fall — the season
  23. staff — employees
  24. bulb — 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