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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: bass · cabinet · swing · perch · fall · bark · current · stand

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. current — electric
  13. bark — to shout
  14. current — happening now
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the fish
  21. current — of water
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bark — of a tree

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