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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · firm · perch · lie · stem · bowl · bass · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — a company
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bass — low music
  18. game — wild animals
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. game — a match
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mine — for digging
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mine — belonging to me

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