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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
468
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: perch · tube · net · jam · stand · bark · bay · season

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. tube — a container
  7. season — of the year
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. season — in sport
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — the underground
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. net — in sport
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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