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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 120 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: perch · straw · bass · trunk · swing · pitcher · court · wave

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bass — the fish
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. perch — the fish
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. swing — in golf
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. court — of law
  12. bass — low music
  13. court — for sport
  14. swing — music
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. swing — to play on
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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