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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: stick · bulb · band · saw · stem · pop · perch · bark

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pop — soda
  3. perch — the fish
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. band — a ring
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. stem — to come from
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bark — to shout
  17. band — a music group
  18. saw — the tool
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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