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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · patient · track · mug · perch · ball · straw · cue

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. track — a path
  5. mug — a face
  6. track — a song
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. cue — for pool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cue — a hint
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — to keep track
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — to rob

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