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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 120 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: bass · cell · perch · rash · cap · stock · drill · staff

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — hasty
  6. staff — employees
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. stock — goods
  10. drill — army training
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. staff — employees
  14. stock — shares
  15. cap — a hat
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bass — the fish
  18. perch — the fish
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a lid
  21. staff — a stick
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bass — low music
  24. stock — a soup base

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