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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: bulb · stem · bound · perch · stand · suit · track · jam

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bound — certain
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — tied together
  8. track — a song
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. suit — to fit
  13. track — to keep track
  14. suit — clothes
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. suit — in cards
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — to come from
  22. track — a path
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stem — 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