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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: straw · stick · jam · bass · pit · bound · saw · perch

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — certain
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bound — tied together
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bass — low music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. perch — the fish
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bound — obliged
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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