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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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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 · staff · face · bass · bear · pitcher · hand · firm

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — decided
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hand — help
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bass — the fish
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. firm — steady
  20. bass — low music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. staff — employees
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — part of the body

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