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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · branch · bear · perch · mouse · stand · bass · hand

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. hand — in cards
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — help
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — the instrument

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