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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: capital · perch · hand · wound · stem · cue · firm · bear

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. capital — money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. capital — a city
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cue — a signal
  14. firm — steady
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hand — help
  18. perch — the fish
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. firm — decided
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cue — a hint
  23. firm — a company
  24. capital — a big letter

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