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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 116 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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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: perch · last · stem · bass · safe · trunk · row · pitch

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. last — final
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. perch — the fish
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. last — to go on
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bass — low music
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — completely
  21. row — to paddle
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. last — finally

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