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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: pitcher · bass · tube · perch · key · rock · bulb · land

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. key — the most important part
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. land — ground
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rock — music
  12. land — a country
  13. bulb — for light
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rock — a stone
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — a container
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. perch — the fish

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