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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: perch · bulb · game · mine · cue · bass · nail · firm

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. mine — belonging to me
  2. bulb — for light
  3. perch — the fish
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. cue — a signal
  7. firm — a company
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — for pool
  12. game — a match
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bass — low music
  15. firm — steady
  16. bass — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — for light
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. firm — decided
  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