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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.

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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: race · straw · perch · bulb · firm · cue · coach · pop

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — humankind
  4. firm — steady
  5. pop — soda
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. race — the arms race
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cue — a signal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — for pool
  16. race — a contest
  17. firm — a company
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. firm — decided
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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