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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · bulb · row · firm · chair · staff · straw · perch

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — a line
  4. firm — a company
  5. chair — a leader
  6. firm — steady
  7. perch — the fish
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. staff — employees
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. firm — decided
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. season — in sport
  20. row — to paddle
  21. season — of the year
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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