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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: rush · perch · stand · deal · spell · mug · net · staff

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — employees
  9. net — in sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. staff — employees
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. net — for catching
  19. deal — to handle
  20. spell — magic
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rush — hurry
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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