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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: mate · ground · perch · stem · firm · cabinet · bowl · jam

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — a position
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. perch — the fish
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mate — a friend
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. bowl — a football final

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