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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: mark · firm · can · perch · bear · row · staff · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. staff — a stick
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bear — the animal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. can — to be able to
  10. row — to paddle
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. firm — decided
  13. row — a line
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. firm — steady
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — a grade
  22. staff — employees
  23. perch — the fish
  24. staff — employees

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