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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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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: cabinet · fork · perch · stand · foot · bass · snap · present

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bass — the fish
  5. present — there
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to click
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — the time now
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stand — to bear
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — a gift
  24. perch — for a bird

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