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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: bay · mine · perch · straw · tube · season · club · ball

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. club — a group
  7. season — in sport
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. season — of the year
  10. tube — a container
  11. club — for golf
  12. tube — the underground
  13. club — for dancing
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. mine — for digging

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